


The Memory of Things We've Done

by 1MissMolly



Category: James Bond - All Media Types, james bond movies - Fandom
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Descriptions of torture., M/M, Male Homosexuality, Murder, No Major Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-21 09:23:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 42,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4823669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1MissMolly/pseuds/1MissMolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bond is ordered to assassinate a known terrorist. When he looks through the scope at his intend victim he see the face of the man he had spent the night with. It's not like he hasn't killed his lovers before. But there is something about this enigmatic young man that makes James pause for a moment, before he pulls the trigger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Assignment

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy my new story. Comments are always welcome.

Bond stepped into the outer office where Eve Moneypenny was typing away on her computer. The woman’s smooth dark skin mirrored the silk blouse she was wearing. An insincere smile on her lips as she looked up at the operative.

“Good morning, James.”

“Moneypenny. How is the old man today?” Bond ask as he rested his hip on the edge of her desk. He had difficulty regarding Mallory as M. That name always referred to the man’s predecessor.

Eve’s eyes flicked down to his nonchalant sitting on her desk. The false smile quickly was replaced by a scowl. The subtle feud between the two individuals persisted.

“Busy.” She said as she swatted at his backside. “Off.”

Bond smirked as he stood. He turned and rested both of his hands on her desk as he leaned forward. “One would think you don’t care.”

“One would be correct.” She shook her hair, the curls bounced around her face. The intercom buzzed on her desk. She pressed the button. “Yes, sir?”

“If Bond is finally here, send him in.” The disembodied voice said through the speaker.

“Yes, sir. He just arrived.”

Moneypenny looked up at the blonde man and smiled insincerely again. She pressed the door release and the padded door leading to M’s office clicked open.

As Bond grabbed the door knob and pulled the door opened, he said over his shoulder. “Always a pleasure, Moneypenny. Always a pleasure.” Sarcasm dripping off the words. The door closed before she could give him a sharp retort.

Bond stepped into the elegant office of the head of MI6. The room smelled of expensive tobacco and age. The golden wood paneling was warm and calming. Oil paintings of various naval officers hung on two of the walls, the scowling faces looking down on the men in the room. M remained sitting as James entered. M’s guest also remained in his chair, only turning his head to give the operative a cursory look. James was more through in his observation of the man.

The guest was younger than Bond by at least a decade. He was dark haired with very dark eyes. Almost black. He was well groomed and clean shaven. The suit was expensive but probably not bespoke. His shoes were Italian leather and highly polished. His manicured fingers tapped lightly on the arm of the chair as Bond nodded to M and sat down in the opposite chair.

“Bond, this Denbigh from MI5.” M introduced the man. “Max, James Bond.”

“Maxwell Denbigh, assistant secretary to the head of MI5. Works especially with cyberterrorism. Correct?” James said looking the man in the face.

Denbigh smiled quickly. A small curving at the corners of his mouth before the lips returned to a thin sharp line.

“James Bond. A double ‘O’. One of the favorites of the pervious head of MI6. Trained assassin and spy.” Denbigh had a slight Irish accent that was rounding his vowels as he spoke. His voice soft and lyrical. He was not from the social elite, even though he dressed as if he was. James could see the forced effort to fit in.

“Good to know we both keep up on current affairs.” Bond said without showing any emotion on his face.

M sighed and held out a file for James to take. A cursory look showed the red letters spelling out ‘Top Secret’. The blonde opened the folder and looked at the first picture. It was of a middle aged man with a receding hair line taken from a distance. The man was walking with his face tilled down and to the side. He was overweight and pudgy. Round faced with sagging features. His eyes seemed too small for his face. And far too wide set to be considered attractive.

“Norman Barres.” M continued. “Presently working for the Gasparri crime family in Rome. Associated with the kidnapping of two German industrialists whose ransoms were in excess of five million euros each. Also involved in human trafficking through North Africa and the Middle East.”

“He is also an informant for MI5” Denbigh said as he leaned back and crossed his legs. “He is a plant. We were able to embed him within the crime organization here in London, three years ago. He has climbed up through the ranks and is now working for the well secluded leaders of the group in Rome.”

James thumbed through the file and looked at the few papers contained. There were lists of crimes and names of suspected criminals. A small photograph of the Roman Forum and a map of the area were also in the file.

“Interesting. How does this become MI6’s business? Are we going to take over his running?” James asked closing the folder.

“He contracted MI5 two weeks ago. There is a hacker, known only as Q, working in Italy. He is a very dangerous man. He was been able to walk through every known firewall. He has gained access to numerous sensitive networks and played around inside them. He released names of FSB agents working in foreign countries. He has plagued the Americans for two years now, release classified documents to news agencies. He’s even been in MI5’s and 6’s systems. We’re are sure he took something, but we don’t know exactly what. He was in several different and compromising files. He must be stopped.” Denbigh paused and looked straight at Bond. “That is why I’m here. Barres will be meeting with the man in four days to buy sensitive British documents. The transaction must not go through. Q must be stopped.”

M continued the briefing. “You will be going to Rome. The meeting between Barres and Q will be at the Roman Forum in three days. At the Palace of Domitian. You will make sure Q does not leave that meeting alive. Barres must remain unharmed.”

“There is no picture of Q in this folder.” James looked through the folder again.

“There are no photographs of Q. No reliable descriptions. No one knows what he looks like. He is hidden behind his computer code.” Denbigh explained.

“Then how are we certain that Barres is meeting with this hacker in person?”

“This meeting with Barres has be negotiated for the last few weeks. It is the first time his exact location is known in advance. It will be our only chance to stop him. He must be stopped. Are you capable of doing that Mister Bond?”

James forced himself not to sneer at the man. “Do not worry Mister Denbigh, MI6 will get the job done for you.”

James’ smile did not reach his eyes. The eyes maintained an unimpressed appraisal of the politician. M cleared his throat bring both men’s attention back to him.

“Wouldn’t it be better to bring this hacker in and question him? Ask him about his associates and to whom he has been selling his secrets?” Mallory asked.

Denbigh let a smug smile play again at his thin lips. “He is a clear and present danger to the security of England. He must be stopped immediately. Once we are assured of his termination, Barres can lead us to his lair and we will find all the information we need from Q’s servers.”

“And who will be going through Q’s computers and servers, MI5 or MI6?” Mallory asked with a raised eyebrow.

“MI5 has more experienced technical investigators. MI6 has trained killers.” Denbigh said with a little more of his Irish accent slipping through.

“Sir, our TSS department is second to none in the world. I will insist that we work on the severs ourselves.” The meeting was rapidly turning into a turf war between the two agencies. Bond started to tune the two men out.

“Or what? You refuse to assist in this one time opportunity to stop a threat to England? I’m sure the Prime Minister would be interested in that bit of information.” Finally the subtle smile remained on Denbigh’s lips after he spoke.

“We are not refusing to assist. I am just very aware of the limited cooperation and sharing of information between our two departments.”

Denbigh closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly. “I assure you. MI6 will receive its due credit and rewards for their part in this endeavor.”

Bond looked over at the man. He didn’t like the way Denbigh had made that last statement. He glanced at Mallory. Bond noticed the tightening of the muscles at the corner of Mallory’s eyes while his face remained passive. The older man had also caught the vague threat hidden under the compliment.

“If Bond leaves now, he will have two and half days to find an appropriate sniper’s nest. The location of the meeting has been marked on the map. It will be held in the hippodrome, near the garden end.”

“The palace in on a hill top. I will have to be up there with them.” Bond looked carefully at the map. He noticed the church, with a limited line of sight to the ancient stadium. “Yes, I believe it can be done. The Church of San Bonaventura al Palatino has an excellent view of the hippodrome.”

“Good. Then I will be expecting news of the unfortunate death of a known terrorist within three days, Mister Bond.” Denbigh stood. “Good day, M. Always a pleasure.”

M rose from his seat and stared back at the man. Neither held their hands out to shake. The parting was civil but not friendly. James didn’t even look up at the man but kept looking through the file. As soon as Denbigh had left, James tossed the folder back on M’s desk.

“I don’t like this. Too many variables. Not enough information.”

M sighed as he sat down. “Absolutely correct. But I have been given orders from the foreign office to assist Denbigh and not to question his motives.”

“Not to question? Doesn’t that limit our protection and increase our culpability if this blows up in our face?”

M glared harshly at the operative. Bond was completely correct and Mallory knew it. The department was trapped between cooperating with a mission in which they were mostly in the dark and refusing a direct order from Whitehall.

“Go to Rome. Keep your eyes open. I don’t like how this has been presented to us. I know that this Q has been in our systems at least twice. I have no idea what he discovered or if he had sold any information to anyone. I want him questioned but if we have no other choice . . . kill him.”

“Yes, sir. And what about Norman Barres?”

“He is a bastard. A criminal, a kidnapper and dealer in human lives.” Mallory leaned back into his chair. “But apparently he is our bastard.”

“Is he really? Or is he just using pervious acquaintances to protect himself from the law?”

“If you think he is misleading MI5 or 6, eliminate him too.”

“With pleasure sir, with pleasure.”


	2. An Causal Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James meets an unusual man.

Bond knew exactly where he was going to be waiting to shoot the computer hacker before he even left M’s office. Bond had been to Rome several times and was familiar with the ancient Roman Forum. On top of the hill was the Convento San Bonaventura, the Church of San Bonaventura al Palatino. It was one of the highest point on Palatine Hill and looked over the ruins of Domitian’s Palace. It would be the perfect spot for a sniper’s nest. The fact it was a church did not bother the killer.

Bond went to TSS and the armory. He explained to Danielle Marsh, the department head of TSS, what he wanted and the older woman was more than happy to supply him the required equipment. A photographer’s tripod that when folded together hid the barrel of the sniper rifle. A collapsible stock on a light weight action and a durable scope. Everything except the tripod would be concealed in a large soft sided bag of professional photography equipment. A reasonable cover. A photographer taking pictures of the Forum and the palace from the view at the top of the church.

Within four hours, Bond was driving to Rome. He arrived early and had a day and half before the meeting between Barres and Q. He didn’t enjoy lag times like this. It allowed him time to think of all the things that could go wrong. It caused him to question and doubt. With as little information as they had on this mission to start with, the thirty-six hour delay just added to his frustration. James needed to get out of the hotel room and burn off some excess energy. Relieve the stress of the upcoming mission.

October was unusually warm in Italy and James wore his white button down shirt and tan trousers. The bespoke suit was left hanging in the wardrobe back in the hotel room. He took a taxi to the opposite side of the river and found a street café to eat at. Music was playing softly inside the café and the singing carried out to the street where James was sitting. He was sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the risotto as he watched the crowds moving like a swirling current down the streets. Only the occasional car interrupting the stream of people. The gay laughter and smiles of the tourists, the shouts of the immigrant vendors, the soft musical language of the native Italians. He watched as lovers walked arm in arm. Heads softly resting on each other.

A small smile came to James’ lips as he enjoyed the perfumed evening. He always enjoyed Italy. He found the people warm and friendly. Maybe when he was done with MI6 he would retire here, he thought. Maybe this would be the best place for him. Complete anonymity in a crowd. He could blend in with the other ex-patriots that lived within the hectic city. It would be perfect. . . . it would be impossible. James frowned. He knew retirement was not an option. He would never get to enjoy the quite life of a retired civil servant.

Taking another drink of his wine, he started to look over the bill the waiter had left on the table. He slipped a few euros into the black leather folder and waved it at the waiter. The waiter waved back as James stood. He took two steps away from the table when the young man crashed into James.

“Bloody hell!” James said as he watch the younger man bounce off him and fall to the ground.

The young man grunted as he fell. James heard muted curses as the man picked up his mobile and looked at the cracked screen.

“Texting while walking is very dangerous. You’re lucky you didn’t fall in the river.” James said as he held out his hand for the young man to take.

The pale face looked up at James. The blonde was instantly taken by the young man’s looks. An angular pale face under a nest of unruly black curls. Large hazel green eyes behind crooked black rimmed glasses. Puffy deep red lips that were held slightly open as he looked up at the older man.

“God, you’re gorgeous.” The young man whispered loud enough for Bond to hear.

James smiled so broadly, it wrinkled around his eyes. He laughed out loud, his shoulders shaking from the joyous outburst.

“You’re not bad looking yourself.” James said with a joking tint to his voice. He saw the immediate blush pass over the younger man’s skin.

The man ducked his head down, while still taking James’ hand to pull himself up off the ground.

“Sorry. I sometimes forget to keep my inner dialog to myself.”

“No, please don’t apologies. That has got to be the best introduction I’ve ever had.” James kept smiling. “My name is James.”

“Benjamin.” The young man said.

“Benjamin? You look more like a Faye.”

“Faye is a female fairies’ name.” The young man said with a scowl.

“Well, yes . . . but its fits a wild woodland creature.”

“I’m hardly that. I sincerely doubt you would see any woodland creatures around here.”

“I stand corrected.” James said, still smiling at the young man. Benjamin nodded his head at the man.

“You look just like a James.” Benjamin said. Then he looked down and realized he was still holding James’ hand. “Sorry,” he pulled away.

“Again, don’t apologies. But, honestly, you really should be more aware of your surroundings.”

“Yes, I know, I just . . . I just get so focused on somethings I forget to look up.”

“So was it from a girlfriend.” James asked leading Benjamin back to the table he had just vacated.

“Girlfriend?” Benjamin asked as he sat down.

“The text.” James said as he waved the waiter back over.

“Oh . . . no . . . not a text. I was working on a . . . project.”

“On your mobile?”

“Yes. I’ve created several apps that allow me to work on projects without my computer.”

James smiled softly at him as the waiter returned.

“Another bottle of wine, please.” James said and then turned to Benjamin. “Are you hungry? They have a wonderful risotto.”

Benjamin looked at James then the waiter then around at where he was. “Oh, ah . . . no. Wine would be fine.”

James looked the man over carefully. He was very thin but was reasonably dressed and didn’t appear needy. He was dressed in a yellow cardigan over a white shirt. His lose fitting trousers didn’t hide the slimness of his hips or his round arse. The dark curls were a wild nest of hair, which need to be dragged through by James’ fingers.

“Maybe some dessert?”

Benjamin smiled. “Maybe chocolate.”

James turned to the waiter and ordered the chocolate tiramisu. He turned back and poured a glass of wine for Benjamin.

“Do you always rescue strangers from the clutches of their own stupidity?” Benjamin asked watching the glass as it filled.

“Well, I’ve been known to be a knight in less than shining armor.” James allowed a moment of selfish praise. Benjamin laughed. It was a warm and pleasant laugh that was strangely comforting to the older man. “So what kind of work do you do that would distract you so much from this beautiful city?”

“A computer code.” Benjamin looked up quickly into James’ eyes then looked away. “Ah, just a hobby really. Nothing to make a living at.”

“So what do you do for a living?”

“Oh, a little of this, a little of that.” Benjamin took a sip of wine.

James was already interested enough to let the vague answer go unquestioned.

“What would you prefer to be doing?” James’ voice dropped lower as he leaned slightly forward in his chair.

Benjamin looked back up into the man’s face. A light blush colored the pale cheeks and made Benjamin’s hazel green eyes shine brighter.

“I would prefer . . . I would prefer to get to know you better before I answer that question.”

Just then the waiter arrived with their dessert. Benjamin looked slightly relieved. The young man quickly picked up his spoon and scoped up a small portion of the chocolate and mascarpone. It was creamy and delicious. Benjamin hummed and smiled as he ate. James leaned back in his seat and watched the young man.

“This is wonderful, you should try some.” Benjamin held his spoon up for James to taste.

The blonde leaned forward and slipped his lips over the spoon. He kept his eyes fixed on Benjamin as he pulled back and then let his tongue slide over his lips to wipe away the whip cream. Benjamin’s eyes were fixed on James’ lips as he did so.

“You’re absolutely right.” James said seductively.

“Yes . . . yes, I am . . . you are . . .” Benjamin shook his head and looked away. “How do you do that to me?”

“Do what?”

“Distract me so much. I never get distracted, but you seem to make me forget everything.”

“Never get distracted? You walked right into me while distracted by your mobile.” James smiled.

“Well . . . yes but . . . I normally catch myself before I cause any real destruction.”

“So, it’s not just me.”

“No, just you and a lines of code.” Benjamin smiled.

James laughed softly. “Glad to know I’m so beguiling.”

Benjamin finished off the last of the tiramisu then looked up at James.

“Would you like to walk? I like walking through the city at night. All the lights and the people.”

“That sound enjoyable. Let’s.” James stood, leaving a few more euros for the wine and the dessert.

They both stood and walked across the bridge to Isola Tiberina. Music was playing from the various cafés along the river. Fairy lights hung around the various patios as the patrons enjoyed the warm evening.

“So you’re English.” James said more as a question than a statement.

“Yes, born in Bedfordshire. Studied at Cambridge. You?”

“Scotland, actually.”

“Oh, I didn’t catch the accent.” Benjamin said glancing sideways at the blonde man.

“No, lost it at a very young age. Lived with an aunt in Switzerland. Attended the Royal Naval College.”

The two men walked side by side talking about whatever crossed their minds. Occasionally, bumping into each other’s shoulders. It was a relaxed and comfortable conversations. They seemed to fit well together. After an hour they were standing in front of James’ hotel. James paused and looked up at night sky.

“Could I convince you into joining me upstairs?” James said as he turned and looked down in the young man’s eyes.

“I don’t normally do such things with men I’ve just met.” Benjamin said in a soft voice.

“Not normally, but is this a normal night?”

“No, it is not.”

“Then join me. I want to spend more time with you. I want to be with you.”

James watched as Benjamin swallowed, the rapid bob of his Adams apple. He could see the blush return to the young man’s face as Benjamin’s eyes moved from James’ face to the windows above their head.

“I . . . I think I would like that too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As normal, not really sure how long this story is going to be or where exactly I'm going with it. As some of you have guessed, Andrew Denbigh is from 'Spectre'. I hope you enjoy the ride with me. Comment welcomed.


	3. Enjoyable Diversion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a chapter of smut.

James Bond was a man a varied tastes. He enjoyed many different things. Different foods and cultures. Different cars and liquor. He also enjoyed different lovers. It is safe to say that James Bond did not have a ‘type’. He like every type of companion he could obtain. He had slept with both men and women. All shades of hair and eye color as well as skin. He enjoyed them all. But he did have a preference. And that preference was right in front of him. Intelligent with dark wavy hair over pale skin. Thin and waif like and green eyes shining out with innocence.

The door closed behind James and Benjamin as they entered the hotel room. The room was dark as James twisted and pushed the young man back into the wall. Pinning him there, as James’ lips sought out Benjamin’s. The first kiss was warm and searching. Learning the other person’s touch and taste.

“You taste of red wine and chocolate.” James whispered into the young man’s skin. James’ hand came up and his fingers dragged through Benjamin’s hair. “I’ve been wanting to do that all evening.”

Benjamin smiled as he leaned down and kissed James’ neck. “You found one of my fetishes. I love having my hair played with.”

James tightened his grip in the dark curls and gave it a gentle tug. Benjamin groaned and leaned slightly to increase the pressure of the pull.

James was not a fan of loud partners, but something about young man’s voice as he moaned was electrifying to James. Like throwing gasoline on a fire. His own lust exploded and he wanted to know all the various sounds he could pull out of the remarkable creature.

“Tell me what you want.” James whispered as he moved his hands to slip Benjamin’s cardigan off.

“Are we negotiating?”

“I want you to enjoy yourself.”

Benjamin sighed and pushed his hips forward. His hardened length nudged into James’ thigh.

“I think it is pretty evident I’m already enjoying myself.” He leaned forward and kissed James’ lips again. “But if you are truly interested, I would like to start with a shower. I want to see you naked in the light.”

James reached down and let his hands rub down Benjamin’s sides and along his hips. Knowing the young man would be as uninhibited as Bond, was exciting. Together they walked, embraced, slowly removing articles of clothing, as they made their way to the bathroom. When James reached for the light switch, Benjamin already had his shirt and shoes off and was working on his belt. James’ shirt was unbuttoned but still on his shoulders. His trousers were unbuttoned and his fly was open. Benjamin pulled out of Bond’s grasp and quickly undressed himself completely. Bond watched as the delicate creature walked away. Long pale limbs and smooth skinned.

Bond took a condom packet from his trousers’ pocket and set it down on the counter. The young man quickly grabbed it and went to the shower. The cubical was small and limited the positions the two men could get into. As the warm water washed over the younger man, James stood back and watched. Benjamin tipped his face up into the water and let his dark curls sweep back over his head. The water rolled down the smooth skin in streams. James licked his lips as he scrutinized Benjamin’s hands moving slowly up and down his torso.

“Are you going to join me?” the young man asked when he realized James had not followed him into the shower.

“Just admiring the view.” James said with a smirk. He stepped under the cascading water and right into a kiss from the younger man.

James leaned back against the cool tile wall as Benjamin’s chest rubbed up against his. The dark haired man moved down James’ neck and let his teeth drag slowly over the muscled shoulder. James’ hands smoothed over the young man’s back. His skin was slick and warmed with the water. Benjamin’s tongue felt hot as it licked across the James’ skin.

“I want to suck you.” Benjamin whispered into James’ neck.

The older man closed his eyes and sighed. He could feel himself hardening as the young man’s hand slowly wrapped around the length. Benjamin started to move slowly up and down the cock. Mapping out the appendage by feel.

James’ hand moved up and his fingers weaved into Benjamin’s wet hair. Twisting his hand, James’ lifted the boy’s head up and turned it to kiss the dark plump lips.

“I would like you to suck me . . . but I don’t want to come here. I want to do that inside you when we are in the bed.”

He could feel the boy shiver next to him. Benjamin let out a craving moan as his long legs folded and he dropped to his knees. Tearing the condom package, Benjamin rolled the latex over the hard shaft of James’ groin. James force himself to focus his eyes down on the young man, just in time to see Benjamin lick his lips, staring at the cock in front of him. He watched as Benjamin’s tongue came out and kitten licked the tip of the gland; then open his mouth and take the whole length in. James’ head fell back and hit the tile wall. A solid thud could be heard over James’ groan.

Benjamin smiled slightly before he returned to coaxing more sounds from the gorgeous blonde above him. His tongue worked the underside of James’ length as he sucked gently, pulling off. Only to plunge back down the length, taking it all the way to the back of his throat. James grunted as he felt the muscles tighten around the tip of his cock and the swallowing sensation of the boy.

“Oh, fuck . . . you are good.”

James’ hand returned to the young man’s hair. Benjamin pulled back for a breath only to feel James’ hand tighten in his curls. He let James pull him forward. With a muted thrust, James plunged down Benjamin’s throat. James felt the groan from the young man more than he heard it. It was perfect. It was what he wanted. It was almost too much.

“If you don’t stop, I’m going to come right here.”

He felt the young man slowly pull off, then put a small kiss to the top of James’ prick.

“That would be disappointing now, wouldn’t it?” Benjamin said looking up at the blonde.

James growled and reached down to pull Benjamin to his feet. Their lips crashed into each other’s as James tasted the latex on Benjamin’s tongue. He growled and plunged his tongue deeper to lick and remove the sour taste. Leaving only the remnants of chocolate and the boy’s natural taste behind.

James twisted his arm behind himself and turned the taps off, while still kissing the man. Benjamin stepped closer and let his own hard prick rub up against the taller man’s. The friction was teasing and just enough to add to the frustration.

“Get to the bed now.” James growled into Benjamin’s mouth.

The blonde could feel the shiver of the young man again as James ordered him about. The older man savored the sensation of control.

Benjamin grabbed a towel and quickly dried himself off as he walked back to the bedroom. Looking over his shoulder as the other man appeared to be stalking him. James’ feral expression fueling Benjamin’s lust. The younger man laid down on his side and propped up his head on his hand. He watched as James approached the bed; his vivid blue eyes now nothing more than a thin rim around black holes.

James knelt down on one knee and kissed Benjamin’s lips before he pulled back and said.

“On to your stomach.”

Disappointed, Benjamin rolled over, noticing James had set a tube of lube on the bedside table. Benjamin sighed, expecting the quick preparation and fast fuck. Instead he was surprised as James started to map out the young man’s back with his lips and tongue. Starting at Benjamin’s hair line the blonde nuzzled and explored every inch of the pale skin. Placing sucking kisses to sensitive areas and gently dragging his teeth across ticklish ones. By the time James had made it down to the back Benjamin’s knees, the young man was groaning and twisting in the bedding. Begging for James to take him.

James moved up and grabbed the lube. “Roll over, I want to watch you as I prepare you.

Benjamin twisted his shoulders and let the movement shift the rest of his body over. Like a reed twisting in a breeze. James watched in amazement at the young lithe body under him. The beautiful flawless skin and dark blush across Benjamin’s face and neck. The hazel green eyes were hooded and he sighed through parted kiss swollen lips. The young man was enticement personified. And all for James.

The blonde’s heavy full cock twitched between his legs and demanded attention. James gave it two quick strokes to relieve the ache it bore. His fingers glided down Benjamin’s smooth chest and caressed over the undulations of ribs and breast bone.

James slicked his fingers up and let the lube warm before he took Benjamin in hand while his prepared finger sought out Benjamin’s private places. Working in slow tandem, James stroked the brunet’s cock while slipping fingers into the man’s hole. Benjamin moaned and set his feet on the bed so he could lift his hips up and give James better access. The wanton display pushed the hunger in James to a frenzy.

“You feel so tight.” James whispered.

“It’s been a while.”

The idea of the boy only being available to James fueled his possess nature. He reached up and curled his finger till he found the bundle of nerves inside Benjamin’s channel. A slight touch, and the boy’s eyes flew open as his hips pushed up into James’ grasp.

“OH, God, please . . . now . . . I can’t wait any . . . longer.”

James smiled as he heard the ramblings coming from the pouty little mouth. James pulled his fingers out and wiped them on the sheets. He poured more lube on his still sheaved cock and lined himself up. He looked up into Benjamin’s face and saw the soft smile on the young man’s face. James slowly pushed forward. Enjoying the slow drag and the gentle release of the boy’s muscles. It was a constant but subtle push into the man’s body. Both men groaning as they felt the slide.

When James was fully seated, Benjamin shifted his legs up and out. Bending himself in half, to give James extra room and further access.

“Oh, you fucking beautiful creature.” James moaned as he started to rock his hips back and forth.

The drag was perfect. The young man submitted his body to the older blonde. James growled, knowing he wouldn’t last long. He stretched out over the younger man’s body and let the muscles of his abdomen press down on Benjamin’s weeping cock. The young man yelped as he felt the friction. His own hips now rocking in time with James. Adding depth and pressure. James hand reached out and grabbed Benjamin’s wrist and pulled it above his head, stretching out the boy’s body. Benjamin pushed down and tried to pull his legs further out of the way.

James cursed as he felt the body under him shift and open. The older man leaned forward and buried his face into Benjamin’s neck. Savoring the scent of the young man’s sweat and the smell of musk. It didn’t last long after that. James’ thrusts were deep and harsh. Benjamin greedily accepted them and begged for more.

He felt the fire start in his spine and move through his lower body. The sound of rushing blood blotted out everything else except the harsh breathing of the man pounding into his body. Benjamin came shouting as James bit down on the young man’s shoulder. James’ own climax throbbing inside Benjamin.

Slowly, James released his grip on Benjamin’s wrist and let the young man’s legs return to a normal position. The brunet was panting under him. His hazel green eyes were unfocused and bright. James moved slowly and slipped from the young man’s body. He rolled to his side and laid watching the other man as he let his breathing slow. James twisted and pulled the condom off his softening length and tied it off.

“Fuck . . . That . . . was . . . remarkable.” Benjamin said between breaths. James smiled.

The older man rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom. He returned with a warm flannel, wiping the spent off his own stomach before he went to clean the younger man. Benjamin’s green eyes followed James’ movements with a relax grin on his face.

“Spend the night.” James said without looking into Benjamin’s face.

“I really shouldn’t.”

“Yes, you should. It’s still early. We could . . .”

“If we do that again, I might never leave.” He smiled up at the other man. “You are quite good at that.”

“Thank you. You’re no slouch yourself.” James returned the easy smile. “Stay, I don’t want to sleep alone.”

Benjamin blinked his eyes and rolled over on to his side, pulling a pillow over to his chest. “It would be nice to share a warm bed with someone tonight.”

James dropped the flannel onto the floor and slipped over the top of Benjamin to curl up behind him. Spooning the younger man, James nuzzled into the dark curls at Benjamin’s neck.

“Maybe later we can discuss some of your other fetishes.” James whispered into the man’s hair, but he felt the soft breathing and gentle sighs. He thought Benjamin was probably already asleep when he spoke. It was okay. He would have tomorrow to tease out the information from the young man.

~Q~

Benjamin was dressed and standing at the door when James came out of the bathroom. He wore the terrycloth bathrobe and dragged the towel through his damp hair.

“There’s no possible way you could stay longer?” James asked.

The two had woken up together and had breakfast in bed after another round of sex. After showering, Benjamin had said he needed to go.

“I have an important meeting tomorrow morning and I need to prepare for it. Afterwards, though . . . maybe?”

“I have a meeting tomorrow too. Then I must leave for England. I only have today here in Rome.”

Benjamin pouted as he looked down at the floor. James lifted his hand and cupped the young man’s face.

“What is it?”

“I . . . I don’t just sleep with people.” Benjamin blurted out. “I mean . . . I like you. I really do. I want to see you again. Is that too much . . . am I too pushy?”

“No, I have enjoyed myself and I want to see you too. When will you be back in London?” James smiled.

“I don’t plan on being in London anytime soon. I work here in Rome. I have my . . . office set up here.”

“Well, can you give me your contact information and I’ll give you mine and we will call and set something up.”

Benjamin blinked rapidly. “I . . . maybe . . . I mean . . . you’re busy, I’m busy. I really did enjoy myself, but maybe we should just say good bye.”

James could see the disappointment in the young man’s eyes. He felt it too. James leaned forward and lightly kissed Benjamin’s lips.

“I don’t like that idea. Can I at least give you a phone number you can call to reach me? Maybe we can make arrangement for later?”

Benjamin rolled his lower lip under his teeth, then nodded.

“Okay. I can’t give you a number, but I’ll take yours.”

James walked over to the desk and wrote down his private mobile number. He walked back and handed it to the young man. Benjamin looked at it then carefully folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket.

“Thank you James. You have been wonderful to me. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed myself.”

Benjamin opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He paused for a moment then quickly turned and kissed the older man one more time before he sped off down the carpeted hallway to the lifts. James watched as the young man disappeared behind the latticed door of the lift cage.

James slowly closed the door and sat down on the bed. He looked around the hotel room at the tray of breakfast dishes and the mussed up sheets on the bed. The debris of used condoms and their packets. The small tube of lube still sitting on the bedside table. It had been an enjoyable diversion but the diversion was over. It was time for James to get ready for his job. He had a hacker he had to kill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the assassination at the Roman Forum. Comment welcome.


	4. The Roman Forum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bond sets up for his assassination of the terrorist Q.

The Convento San Bonaventura was a church from the seventeenth century. The old church stood on top of the ruins of the Roman Forum, having stolen the marble and building materials for the ancient structures. It sat on a picturesque spot. The terra cotta tile roofs towering over the olive trees and sloping grass of Palatine Hill. The soft purple blooms and silver green leaves against the gray stone walls. The old Christian church amongst the Roman ruins.

James was not here to enjoy the view but to use it. The church looked down on the remains of Domitian’s Palace. He walked up the hill from the Colosseum side of the Forum. The camera bag hung over his shoulder and the tripod gripped in his hand. Bond’s cover was a professional photographer. He had credentials in his pocket stating he worked for a British magazine and a passport that showed trips to various picturesque vacation spots around Europe.

James had been here before, several times. He had walked amongst the ruins and seen the area both in sunlight and moonlight. This time, as he moved through the broken stonework and ancient buildings, the air seemed heavy. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind. Something more than the limited information about his target.

He paused under the Arch of Titus. He pulled out the 35mm camera with a telephoto lens. Holding the camera up as if to start photographing, he looked at the people milling around the area. He noticed several pair of men just standing around the vast ruins; just standing in one spot and not actually looking at the architecture but at the other visitors. James lifted the camera to his eyes and looked through the high powered lens. He saw a uniformed police officer pass by one pair of men and nod to them. The men nodded back. Obviously, undercover police. They were expecting something to happen.

The situation was getting more tenuous. The police must have been tipped off and were expecting the assignation. James forced himself to relax. He slipped the camera back into the bag and slipped the strap over his shoulder. As he walk up the hill to the church, James played out the options before him. There was a known threat to British security meeting with a known criminal in less than half an hour. It would be the only time they would have an opportunity to eliminate the threat. Police were present and apparently in number. They were here because of a warning of some kind. Whether that warning was an assassination attempt, the capture of a known criminal, or something Bond was complete uninvolved with, the operative did not know.

As he walked up to the top of the hill, he noticed the police officers stepping into the church with the priest. Well, the opportunity to use the tower of the church was now lost to him. He walked past the church and to the hippodrome of the ancient palace. The arena was sunken down two stories below the rest of the ruins. There were stone stairs leading down to the grassy track as well as two paths through the broken walls. At the north east end of the expanse of grass was a tall wall with narrow doors leading down to sub-terrain cells.

Bond followed the eastern path into the hippodrome and slipped into the darkness of the narrow doors. His view was now level with the floor of the arena instead of the raised view from the church, but here he was completely hidden from the other tourists walking through the grounds. He quickly removed the barrel of the rifle from where it was concealed in the tripod. The stock and action were in the camera bag. Snapping the pieces together expertly, Bond had the gun ready in seconds. He set it down next to the door. Inside the confines on the small room, the gun shot would be loud, but the stone walls and dirt would muffle the sound and hide the location of the shooter from witnesses.

Bond waited. He took out the camera again and looked through the telephoto lens. The hippodrome was empty this early in the morning. He stepped back in to the shadows to wait. Fifteen minutes later, James saw him. Barres. His head even balder than it was in the photo. His pudgy features sagging as he stepped out of the stone arch that led to the stairs. The middle aged man was wearing a dark blue windcheater and Bond thought it was strange given the high temperatures that October.

He set the camera down and waited to see who would join him. Less than five minutes later another man joined Barres. At the distance, all Bond could see was the dark hair. He picked up the rifle and stepped back further into the darkness of the room. He looked through the scope and focused on the second man.

The dark curls and pale face. The thin frame and long limbs. The black framed glasses. Benjamin.

James looked over the top of the scope and out at the two men in the distance. It couldn’t be. Bond could feel his pulse rate increase. He rested his head back down on the stock. He slowed his breathing; in through his nose and out through his mouth. Slipping his left hand under the stock and grasping his right bicep. As years of training kicked in, Bond’s pulse slowed and he prepared to take the shot.

He watched as Barres looked around while Benjamin spoke to him. The fat man took a step back. Bond growled. Barres was giving away the possibility of a sniper. The criminal looked up and over Bond’s head, towards the church. The man took another step back as Benjamin started arguing with him. Bond watched as Barres pulled an envelope from his pocket and shoved it at Benjamin’s chest. The young man looked confused and took the brown envelope. He opened it and pulled out what appeared to be newspaper clippings.

James felt the sweat roll down the side of his face. His finger resting on the side of the trigger guard. He watched as the man he knew as Benjamin held up the clippings at Barres. The criminal then pulled out a small handgun. Benjamin took one step back as Bond took the shot. Blood spattered across the young’s face as Barres’ head exploded. The report of the shot was deafening in the small room, but no one standing in the ruins knew where it came from.

Bond dropped the rifle behind the stone wall, into a crevasse between the stonework and the dirt. The darkness enveloped it, disappearing out of sight. James grabbed the camera bag and walked quickly to the path leading up from the arena. He looked out just once to see the young man running away from the dead man as police started running to the church.

James walked quickly to the pavement that led down the hill and to a small carpark. He jumped over the retaining wall and burst down the hill, through the trees and bushes till he was at the pavement below. He rushed to his car and climbed in behind the wheel, tossing the camera bag into the passenger seat. The car started and he was driving out of the carpark when a body came crashing out of the bushes at the base of the hill and into the side of the car. The man sprawled out over the bonnet. The dark curls turned and James saw it was Benjamin. Q?

“GET IN!” He shouted over the squeal of the brakes.

Benjamin didn’t waste time. He rushed around the front of the car and into the passenger seat. He grasped the bag of cameras in his lap as James sped out of the car park and into the Roman traffic. James moved the care swiftly through the changing lanes of traffic. He refused to look at the young man.

“Are you alright?”

Benjamin sat still for moment before he realized James was speaking to him.

“Yes . . . the blood's not mine.” The young man started to wipe it from his face.

“Put on your seatbelt.” James said as he down shifted to make a corner.

Benjamin set the camera bag down between his feet and reached his right hand over his shoulder to grab at the webbing.

“How did . . . a man was shot.”

“I know.”

“Did you see him?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill him.” Benjamin said trying to sound calm.

“I know.”

The young man was quiet, thinking about what Bond had just said.

“Did you see who shot him?”

Now Bond was silent. After a minute, “No.”

James drove quickly away from the area and towards the river. Benjamin sat motionless in the front seat of the car.

“Were . . . were you following me?” He asked hesitantly.

“No, I was working.” James said. “Photographer.”

He nodded towards the bag. Benjamin opened the bag and saw the cameras.

“Oh . . . you were just there photographing . . . the Forum?”

“Travel magazine.”

Benjamin was quiet again for a moment.

“James, I need to trust someone. Can I trust you?”

The blonde looked sideways at the young man. “If I said yes, would you?”

“Probably not.”

“Then no, you can not trust me.” James smiled.

“Drive west, to Trastevere. Via dei Vascellari. My flat is there.”

James did as he was asked. Benjamin’s flat was in an old yellow brick building off a narrow street. They had to leave the car in a carpark two blocks away. The building smelled of flowers and baking bread as they climbed the steep stairs to the third floor. Benjamin looked up at James’ face as he unlocked the door.

“I do consulting work. I don’t have an office. I work out of my flat. Please do not touch anything.”

The door opened and James was hit by the cool air. Benjamin rushed through the room and into a bathroom off to the side. James heard water running as he closed the door. He glanced around the room taking in the furnishings. Benjamin had several portable air conditioners running in the small flat. The ductwork leading out the single window. Metal racks lined two walls of room with severs and computers towers. There were three separate monitors on a table, each with its own keyboard. Two of the screens were on and running a program of numbers and letters across the blue. Under the window was a low futon type bed. Scattered bedding lay on top of it. An exposed metal pipe stretching across the ceiling of the room acted at the clothes closet. There was a low hum of the air conditioners constantly going on in the background and James quickly found it annoying.

Benjamin stepped out of the bathroom bare chested. The blood spattered clothes left on the floor of the room. The young man retrieved a clean shirt from a hanger and slipped it on his narrow shoulders. He turned to watch as James looked around the room.

“You have questions?” Benjamin asked.

“You’re in trouble, aren’t you?” James said.

“I maybe . . . I’m not sure . . . I need to check my computers.” Benjamin moved to sit down at the three monitors. He cued up the blank one and started typing. “You don’t need to stay. I’ll be safe here.”

“I just aided a suspect in a murder escape police custody. Maybe I should stay for my own safety.”

Benjamin looked sideways at James. “I don’t think they will be looking for me. You know I didn’t shoot the man.”

“Yes, but you are still involved with his death. And from this . . .” James waved his hand around the room. “From this you look like you are up to something nefarious.”

Benjamin twisted in his chair and looked carefully at the blonde.

“Honestly, James, I’m not a threat. I am just a hacker, not a criminal.”

“I thought hackers were criminals.”

“People come to me to find out information. I supply that information.”

“Who do you supply information for? . . . Housewives? . . . Governments or criminals?”

Benjamin looked over the frames of his glasses at James, before he pushed them up his nose. He turned away and frowned. His fingers working quickly across the keypad as he studied the screen.

“I don’t ask.” Benjamin said softly.

“But you know.”

Benjamin didn’t answer him. James looked around the room again. There had to be scores of evidence not only against Q but also against those he worked for. While the young man’s back was turned to Bond, the operative slipped his hand in his pocket. His fingers slipped over his mobile. He stepped closer to one of the racks of wires and electronics. He slowly removed his hand from his pocket and set the mobile behind one of the towers. Bond never took his eyes off the young man. He was certain Q had not seen him place the phone.

“What are you doing?” James asked as he stepped forward and tried to read the computer screen.

“I’m trying to find out who wants me dead.”

James leaned over the young man’s shoulder and rested one hand on the back of the chair and the other on the desk.

“The man you were meeting with was the one who was killed. Maybe he was the target and not you?” James said.

“I don’t think so. Maybe.”

There was a knock on the door of the flat. James spun quickly and knelt. He pulled the Walther that had been secured in the holster around his ankle. Benjamin jumped up and knocked the chair over when he saw the gun.

The knocking stopped for a moment then the two men heard someone try the door knob. The door was locked.

“You’re armed.” Benjamin whispered looking at the gun instead of the door.

James raised his finger to his lips, and waved the young man to move to the bathroom. Benjamin took a hesitant step in that direction when a sudden bang could be heard and the front door of the flat was kicked open.

The dark haired man leaped in through the door, gun was already drawn. Bond fired as soon as the man cleared the door. Benjamin leapt sideways and hid behind James as Bond pulled the dead man into the room and then closed the door. He dragged the chair over that Benjamin had been using and wedged it under the door knob.

James rushed to the window and pulled the young man with him. Throwing open the window, he looked out at the street below. A small balcony was open one floor below them. James lifted Benjamin up and pushed him out the window before the young man could try and stop him. The operative carefully dropped the man to the lower balcony then followed behind him.

“What the fuck! . . .” Benjamin started to shout as James lifted him again and dropped him over the railing and down onto the awning of a street café.

Benjamin bounced once then slid off the edge. James quickly followed after him. Before the man could speak, James wrapped his hand around the brunet’s waist and pulled him down the street.

“Let go of me!” Benjamin hissed.

“No,” James said as he round the corner and stepped into the carpark where they had left his car.

Two men were standing beside the car. They looked up and saw the blonde and brunet. They opened fire immediately. James yanked Benjamin back, plastering his back to the stone wall. The masonry shattering as bullets landed inches from their heads. Benjamin squatted down and covered his head. James turned his face to protect his eyes. When there was a pause in fire, James twisted around the corner and shot. The first round wounded one man while James’ second shot killed the other man. James moved quickly and fired again at the first man, exchanging multiple rounds with the man. Both of them hit the silver car James had been driving. Bond final hit the man, but as he fell to the ground he fired his gun. The round skidding across the stone pavers. Sparks ignited the fumes from the gas. The car burst into flames. A yellow white fire ball exploded. James covered the young man’s body with his own as the heat raced passed them. James stood up and watched the black smoke plumed upward into the sky.

James cursed and returned to the huddled man on the ground. He grabbed Benjamin’s upper arm and pulled him off the ground. The two men started walking away from the scene as sirens and people start to move in. The two walked quickly away ignoring the shouts and screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can't actually believe I was going to let Bond shoot Q. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The story is coming along faster than I thought it would.


	5. Quick Turn Around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> London's and MI6's perspective of James' actions. Or how Alec get's called in to save James butt.

Alec Trevelyan stepped into TSS to return what equipment he had to his quartermaster. It had been a successful mission to Cape Town, South Africa and he was glad to be home. He was relieved to be back in England and looking forward sleeping in his own bed.

The TSS department was calm with no crucial missions were taking place at that time. The technicians were all working quietly at their various computer terminals. Alec was convinced that somewhere in that room, someone would be playing Warcraft or Left Behind, or some other computer fantasy game instead of working, but he never caught any of the minions doing so. He wondered if they had some way of knowing when someone from the outside was entering their territory. Knowing an intruder was just before reaching their inner sanctum.

Alec went up to his handler for the last mission, Margo Turner. Margo was a young tech, maybe twenty-five or eight. Only five feet tall, she had white blonde hair with a streak of purple running through it. She wore black lipstick and had once had a nose piercing, but Danielle Marsh, the director of TSS, had insisted she remove it. Margo was one of the many new faces in TSS after Silva had bombed the building. The old Major and five of his staff had been killed in the explosion. Danielle had spent weeks in the hospital recovering from her injuries. After she returned, Danielle insisted that MI6 needed to be prepared for the future of cyberattacks. Margo was one of the best hackers they had been able to hire.

Danielle had been grooming Margo to be a quartermaster. Alec was one of the few double ‘O’s willing to give the purple hair pixie a chance. The mission went flawless, once he learned to snap at her comment of him being a misogynist dinosaur by calling her a prepubescent anime. Danielle had considered editing the transcriptions of the conversations between the two of them, but included them in the final report; deciding it would be helpful for other members of staff to know how to deal with the two difficult people. Alec and Margo.

Margo was commenting on the wanton destruction of a valuable watch when suddenly Danielle rushed in and cued up the main computer screens.

“I want any CCTV we can find of the area around the Roman Forum and Trastevere!” Danielle said as she quickly typed at the keyboard. Several minions looked up for moment, then hunched forward and started typing.

Alec looked up at the main screen and saw a satellite view of the old city. The red terracotta tiled roofs over yellow brick walls. The narrow grey streets and the billowing black smoke from a car park. Alec stepped closer. He knew his best friend was supposed to be in Rome for a simple assassination, but there truly were no simple missions. Something must have gone wrong.

“Anything?” Danielle asked.

“No, ma’am. No CCTV in that area, no automatic tellers or private cameras on network.” One of the minions said as Danielle tried to zoom in with the satellite view.

“Ma’am, I have a remote news helicopter filming.” TJ said from the opposite side of the room.

“Let me see it.”

One of the three computer screens changed to a bouncy live video feed from the scene. The reporter was talking as the helicopter circled around the fire.

“Anyone speak Italian?” Danielle shouted.

“I do,” Alec stepped up behind her. “They are saying it is the scene of a . . . gang killing . . . two dead . . . one man escaped . . . on foot . . . possibly kidnapping of another . . . police are looking for one blonde and one brunet males.”

“Damn it.” Danielle hissed. Alec looked sideways at the woman. He had never heard her curse before. Not even when missions were falling apart.

“What is it? Who is that supposed to be?”

“That is Bond’s car.”

“What’s it doing in Trastevere?”

“I don’t know. He was supposed to be over the river near the Forum and when he was done he was to leave the city immediately and drive north. Now his car is in flames with two dead men next to it.”

“Two?” Alec felt his mouth go dry. “Have you been able to reach him?”

“His mobile is on and stationary within a block of that location. We can’t narrow it down further than that at this moment. There is something wrong with the signal. Like the phone’s been corrupted.” Danielle typed and got a different view of the area. She finally turned and looked at Alec. “I’m sorry. I don’t know anymore.”

Alec nodded his head and walked quickly out of TSS. He went to the lift and let it carry him up to the executive branch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile. His fingers hovered over the buttons. He never called James during a mission unless he thought one of them would never make it back. Danielle had said his phone was stationary but they would never attempt to contact him with it.

The doors of the lift opened and Alec looked up to see Eve standing there with a tight expression on her face.

“Alec, thank God. M sent me to find you.” Her voice was slightly higher pitched as she reached out and grabbed the man’s wrist. Pulling him out of the lift and down the hall to her office. “Bond has really done it this time.”

“Done what?”

“Went off mission. He shot the wrong man.” Eve said as she opened the door to her office. Rounding her desk, she pressed the intercom button. “Sir, I have Trevelyan here.”

“Send him in.”

Alec could hear the anger in Mallory’s voice. The padded door clicked open and the tall blonde stepped into the executive office.

“Have you been in contact with 007?” M glared at Alec.

“No, sir. I’ve just returned from South Africa.”

“Mallory, this is unacceptable! Your agent has gone rogue! They both need to be neutralized!” The disembodied voice shouted over the speaker phone. Alec looked down at the desk as Mallory growled into the room.

“Denbigh, we don’t know what happened! Bond has not gone rogue and has a reason for doing what he is doing!” Mallory leaned over his desk, resting his fists on the wood as he spoke into the speaker.

“Sir?” Alec asked. He remained standing and felt the need to go to attention.

“006 will be sent to intercept Bond and Q. Together, my two operatives with return Q back to London!”

“Not good enough!” The voice over the speaker shouted. “Bond killed two men in the carpark! Out in the open where everyone could see him! He was seen fleeing with Q! I want him stopped. And with a bullet!”

“I will determine how my operatives are dealt with!”

“Then I will inform Whitehall how you are handling this.” The line disconnected.

Mallory stood up straight and Alec could see the stress in the man’s face. Alec remained silent as Mallory slowed his breathing.

“007 has appeared to have gone off mission again.” Mallory finally said with an ironic tone to his voice.

“How bad?”

“Very.” Mallory sat down while Alec remained standing. “He was supposed to assassinate a man only known as Q. His contact was a member of the Gasparri crime syndicate. Bond shot the contact instead and was seen escaping with this hacker, Q. Bond, then, shot two unknown assailants. Blowing up his car in the process. Denbigh is sending MI5 agents to intercept him!”

“What was MI5 doing outside the county?” Alec asked.

“They apparently will be trying to either capture or kill this Q.”

“That is beyond their brief.”

“I am quite aware of that. But the undersecretary Denbigh doesn’t seem to understand that. He has ordered both Bond and Q to be shot on sight.”

“Can he do that?” Alec asked confused by the information.

“He couldn’t until, Bond shot and killed a MI5 undercover agent in Rome. Now the Foreign Office is breathing down our necks and Whitehall is ordering we follow Denbigh’s orders.”

“You are asking me . . .” Alec could not believe he would be given the orders to kill his best friend.

“Absolutely, not!” Mallory interrupted Alec’s question. “You are to find Bond and learn what the hell happened. I want answers before I go around shooting one of my best operatives.”

“Yes, sir.” Alec relaxed internally.

“Find him. Find out why he killed the Barres and the two men. Find out why he didn’t kill Q.”

“Danielle doesn’t have any information when I left TSS.” Alec said. Mallory looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “I was returning my equipment when the first reports came in.”

Mallory took in a deep breath and then slowly let it out.

“We need to find Bond. Can you think of any place he would go? Why he would go off mission this far?”

“He would only do so if he felt it was in the best interest of England, sir.” Alec said. “As for some place to hide. James loves Italy. He knows it almost as well as Scotland.”

Mallory grunted as he looked down at the photos of the burning car and dead bodies.

“Find him and stop him. Bring him in if you can. If you can’t . . .”

“I will bring him back. With or without this Q.” Alec assured the man.

Mallory held out a file folder for Alec to take. “All the information we have on Q at this time.”

Alec took it and read through the material quickly. Something clicked in the back of Alec’s mind.

“Sir, James’ mobile is functional and stationary. If he left it behind, it was left for a purpose. A location. The file says the location of Q’s servers is unknown. Is it possible that James was there and left the mobile there to help track us to the spot?”

Mallory smiled. “Very good.”

“And if the dead men are in a carpark within a few blocks of the location, what is the possibility that they knew in advance where to find it?”

Mallory’s brow knitted together. “You believe that maybe MI5 is withholding information. Bond thought so before he left.”

“Maybe not all of MI5, but Denbigh might be leading us down the primrose path.”

“Denbigh is a slimy little bastard. He would miss lead us. Find Bond and keep him out of Denbigh’s sight.”

“Yes sir.” Alec handed the file back to Mallory. “I’ll be on the first plane to Rome.”

“We will have a private jet fly you there in an hour.”

“Sir.”

Alec turned to leave. He would need to quickly return to TSS to re-equip for the trip. As he stepped out of M’s office, his mobile pinged in his pocket. Alec removed it and smiled at the texted message.

_“Palio”_

“James, you crafty bastard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are food for the soul.


	6. Siena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James escapes with Benjamin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, again, I know nothing about computes so please just suspend your disbelief again. I hope you enjoy this chapter. The Palio is the famous horse race in Siena. The oldest horse race in the world.

“If you want to live, come with me.” James had rumbled at the young man. “Don’t say a word, just follow me.”

James dragged Benjamin through the streets of Rome. They made it to the river and ran across the bridge to the east. In and out of the streets and back allies of the city, until they reached Roma Termini Railway Station. James quickly bought two tickets for Siena. Pulling Benjamin onto the train before the young man could run away. James pushed the young man into a seat next to the window. Then, leaned in close as he sat, and whispered harshly in Benjamin’s ear.

“I am your only chance to survive.”

“You’re not a photographer are you?” Benjamin asked. His body tensed as the blonde leaned heavily into him.

“What do you think?” Bond asked looking into Benjamin’s face.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“Not yet and not if you don’t give me a reason.” Bond leaned back away from the young man.

Benjamin ducked his head and sat nervously next to James. Slowly the train pulled out of the station and headed north. The crowded carriage prevented the two men from speaking openly. Events were swimming through the man’s head, as Benjamin kept glancing at the man beside him. He leaned closer and raised his hand to partially block his mouth from the other travelers.

“Are you the one?” Benjamin asked.

“The one what?”

“The one who . . . who stopped Barres?”

Bond turned his head to look directly at Benjamin.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.”

Bond stared at the young man for a moment then nodded. “Yes,” he answered as he turned to look at the other travelers.

“Why?”

“It was a choice.”

Benjamin knew the choice was to kill the criminal or himself that Bond was speaking of.

“I’m not like him.” Benjamin tried to sound reassuring.

“You are still wanted for your . . . activities.”

“By whom?”

“How many systems have you hacked? I’m sure all of them are upset with you. FSB, NSA, the French and Germans as well as MI5.”

“Do you work for MI5?” Benjamin asked. His voice becoming a little shakier.

“No.”

The young man lowered his hand and looked away from the man. He sat still for the rest of the train trip north.

~Q~

Siena was unusually hot for October. The natives were remaining in the shadowed streets and narrow passages of the medieval city. Only the tourist wandered into the Compass Square and the open shops around its perimeter. The hot sun burning the cobblestones and pavement around the plaza.

Bond and the young man checked into a hotel off the Via delle Terme. The sounds and smells of the city rising up to the open window of their suite. Benjamin stood out on the balcony and looked down at the government building with its bell tower and Renaissance decorations. James was walking around the room checking the mobile phone he had snatched away from the young man as soon as they boarded the train. It was heavy for its size. Bond wondered what modifications the man had done to it.

“Did you reach the person you were calling?” Benjamin asked as he watched James turn the mobile over in his hand. Bond ignored his question.

“Alright, tell me who you really are.” Bond said staring the young man down.

“I told you, Benjamin White from Bedfordshire.” Benjamin stepped off the balcony and into the coolness of the room.

“Not ‘Q’, international hacker and supplier of secrets to anyone willing to pay your price?”

“I don’t know who you are talking about. Barres contacted me. I didn’t reach out to him.”

Bond looked carefully into the young man’s face. He couldn’t tell if the boy was lying or not. If he was lying, it was the perfect poker face. Only the muscle around his left eye twitched slightly at the name.

“You just go and meet with known criminal elements whenever they call you?”        

“He said he information he wanted to sell to me.”

“I thought you acquired your own information. Didn’t trust other peoples’ sources.” James moved over to the low cupboard with a tray of unopen bottles of liquor and glasses. He quickly twisted the cap on the scotch bottle and pour himself two fingers worth.

Benjamin watched from window as James nonchalantly turned his back on the boy.

“I’m a hacker but I don’t do anything that would get me in trouble with the likes of the Gasparri group.”

“How did you know Barres worked for the Gasparries?”

Benjamin took a few steps closer to Bond. James turned around and walked across the room watching the young man. He stepped closer to the open window as Benjamin move to fix himself a drink.

“You told me.” Benjamin tried to struggle to cover up his mistake.

“A known criminal wanted to sell information to person who says he does nothing criminal.” Bond said sarcastically as he turned to look out the window. Benjamin moved quickly. He picked up one of the bottles of alcohol and rushed forward. Bond turned just as the bottle crashed into the side of his head. The blonde collapsed to the floor as Benjamin backed away.

“I’m sorry James. Please believe me. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Bond struggled to climb back up onto his feet. The crawled two steps forward, shuffling along on his hands and knees. A deep guttural growl came from the injured man.

“Please . . . just lay down . . . You won’t see me again.” Benjamin had backed himself to the door. He opened the door and just before backing into the hall. He looked down as James tried to crawl across the floor. “I really did enjoy myself the other night. Thank . . .”

The sharp pain slammed into the back of the boy’s head. The white hot pain knocked Benjamin to his knees. He twisted and rolled on to his back, looking up at a tall blonde man standing over him. Then the young man’s vision greyed and then faded out.

~Q~

Benjamin woke sitting up. His head stung and pounded with every beat of his heart. His wrists hurt and he felt a tight pull in the muscles across his shoulders. He tried to shift, but then a sharp pain in his head made him still. Benjamin heard two voices. One was James’ and it was angry. The other was deeper and gruffer. A laughing lilt hung between phrases. The stranger was teasing Bond. Benjamin couldn’t make out the words. At first he thought he was still dreaming or something, then he realized the words were Slavic. Maybe Russian. He feigned still being unconscious as he listened hoping they would slip back into English.

 _“You let that little twink get the better of you, James? You’re getting old.”_ Alec said Russian.

_“Not as old and slow as you. What took you so long to get here?”_

_“Problems at the boy’s flat.”_

_“You found the computers?”_

_“Yes, but there was a failsafe. Embedded under the door frame in the wall were strips of a high power magnet. As soon as the techs moved the computers out of the room, the magnets wiped the memories. It effected our mobiles too. That is why we had such difficulty locating yours. It fried the card.”_

_“Fuck, so we still don’t know if this is really Q or not.”_ Bond said as he stepped closer and looked down at the restrained man.

_“Did he say anything before he got the drop on you?”_

_“He didn’t get the drop. I was testing him.”_

_“From where I was standing, he was fleeing and you were studying the carpet.”_ There was subtle laugh. _“I read the brief. Why is he still alive and Barres dead?”_

_“It was a trap.”_

Alec narrowed his eyes and took a step closer to his best friend.

_“How?”_

_“The Carabinieri_ _were there, waiting. In uniforms and undercover. Benjamin was to be shot and I was to be found holding a smoking gun?”_

_“Gasparri tip them off?”_

_“I don’t know how Gasparri would know where I was planning on shooting from. There were officers stationed inside the church.”_

_“Maybe it was just a coincidence?”_

_“Maybe, but I don’t trust the odds it was.”_

_“You think you were burned.”_ James nodded. _“Who then, Mallory?”_

_“I don’t know, maybe Denbigh.”_

Benjamin twitched when he heard the name he recognized. Both men noticed the young man move.

“Did you have to hit him so hard?” Bond asked speaking in English again.

“Sorry didn’t know he was fragile.”

Bond reached out the shook Benjamin’s shoulder. “Wake up.”

The young man slowly opened his eyes and looked up in to the sparkling blue of the blonde operative. Bond gently slipped the young man’s glasses back onto his face. Benjamin waited a moment then glanced over at the other man in the room. He was roughly the same height as Bond with dirty blonde hair. He was square faces with a rugged chin and jaw line. Under thick blonde eyelashes, Benjamin saw laughing green eyes.

“Who are you?” He asked. The new blonde smiled.

“Alec.”

“MI5 or 6?” Benjamin asked.

“You have a paranoia about them, don’t you?” James said, remembering the young man asked him if he belonged to the investigative organization.

“You both have a good reason to be paranoid,” Alec said.

“Why?” James turned and looked at Alec. “Are they here in Italy?”

“Denbigh claims they were sent to detain a known terrorist and a rogue agent.”

“WHO!? ME?!” Benjamin shouted. “I’M NOT A BLOODY TERRORIST!”

James smiled and Alec laughed.

“You are a hacker who sells secrets. What else would you be?” then James turned and looked at Alec. “A rogue agent?”

“Denbigh claimed you killed Barres and went rogue with the boy. He wants both of you dead.”

“Mallory wanted Q alive for questioning.”

“But do we have the real Q?” Alec asked looking back at the restrained man. “Are you worth keeping alive?”

Both men turned and looked at Benjamin. The boy stared up at the men. He swallowed hard. James watched as the young man’s Adams apple bobbed. A sharp spike of want surged through the man. A flash of memory from a few nights ago passed over James’ mind. James tamped the desire down as he watched Alec circle around the young man.

“I am an Englishman.” Benjamin said simply. “I maybe a hacker. I might be this Q. But I am most definitely loyal to my country.”

James and Alec were no longer smiling.

“I have done more to keep England safe than you can imagine.” Benjamin continued.

“How?” James asked as he pulled a chair close to the man and sat down in front of him.

“You are correct in that I am a dangerous man. Probably the most dangerous you’ve ever met. I’ve harmed those who wanted to harm England. I love England and I will protect her. Even from those who are paid to serve her.”

James’ eyes flashed as he realized what the boy was saying.

“You know about a mole. A traitor.”

Alec stepped closer. “Who?”

Benjamin remained silent then ducked his head. “These handcuffs are hurting my wrists. I need my hands to do my job. Please release me.”

James’ glance moved to Alec quickly, then back to Benjamin. Alec stepped around the chair and unlocked the handcuffs.

“You found a traitor?”

Benjamin rubbed his wrists then adjusted his eyeglasses. “I was seeing a trend in certain circles. There were groups positioning themselves to take over if there was a major collapse of the EU. Criminal groups dealing with guns and drugs. Even human trafficking. The economy of the EU is teetering on the edge. Great Britain is one of the few countries holding it together. If England falls, everything falls, like a house of cards. The entire continent would descend into civil wars and anarchy.”

Benjamin looked back and forth between the two men to see if they understood. No emotion showed in either man’s face.

“I found several references in these groups to someone in the British government working to bring about this fall.”

“Working alone?”

“No, part of a larger group. A cartel.”

“And you settled on this someone being in the intelligence agencies?” James asked.

“The information said intelligence but not the Foreign Office.”

“How can we trust you?” Alec said.

“The proof is on my computers back in Rome. I can show you.”

“Your computers?” Alec sighed. He looked over at James.

“The same computers who had their hard drives damaged by the magnets in your doorway?” James asked the young man.

“YOU TRIED TO MOVE MY COMPUTERS! YOU IDIOTS!”

“Why did you have the magnets?” James asked.

“To stop anyone from stealing the information inside them.” Benjamin rubbed his palms down his trousers’ leg. “Proof of my innocence was on that server.”

“You are Q, aren’t you?”

Benjamin looked up at James. He sat perfectly still. Bond admired the young man’s poker face. “How long have you known?”

“Since the Forum.”

“Not two days before?” Benjamin asked accusingly.

“No. Then you were just someone I met out on the streets. A . . . interlude.” James said keeping his voice level. “I knew who you were when I saw you with Barres.”

“How?”

“There had been chatter of a meeting between Gasparri and Q. When you showed up, we had our proof.”

“Were you really supposed to shoot me instead of him?”

“Why would I be after you?” James decided to see how much information the young man was willing to provide.

Q looked the operative over then nodded. “I am very good at what I do, but I am selective with whom I associate.”

“Not just anybody you pick up at the café?” Bond let a small smile curve the corner of his mouth for a moment. Q just glared.

“You claimed you didn’t know who I was.”

“I didn’t. Imagine my surprise when I saw you with Barres.”

“I haven’t done that in over eighteen months.” His glance shifted up quickly at Alec to see if the other man understood what they were talking about. Alec’s stoic face betrayed nothing.

“I was contacted by a third party through the internet. They said they had information about a sale British secrets. Someone from the east was looking for access into NATO mainframe.”

“So you went to the meeting to do what? Question Barres? Stop the sale? Offer a different vendor?” Alec asked.

“I knew Barres was involved with the Gasparri crime family. I thought they were a front for the buyer. I haven’t been able to identify who is behind the orchestrated moves against England. I knew it couldn’t be Gasparri. There had to be someone else. Someone more powerful. Someone able to place a traitor high up in the British government.”

James stood and started to walk around the room. Benjamin watched as James and Alec paced together.

“We’ve got to get him back to London. M needs to hear this.” James said.

“That may not be a good idea. First, there are orders to shoot both of you on sight.”

“What?”

“You have been classified as rogue. You killed an MI5 embedded agent and escaped with a known terrorist. Then killed at least three other men.” Alec explained. “Next, someone burned you and the mission. Who knew where you were going to be shooting from?”

“Mallory and Denbigh.”

“What about Boothroyd?”

“No, the old man knew it was a sniper situation but not the exact location. I don’t even think he knew it was in Rome.” James said, then he looked doubtful. “But Eve would have known. Moneypenny would have been given the details in the report from Mallory.”

“Would she have betrayed you?”

James just smirked at his friend. Alec nodded and agreed. The woman had already shot James, it would take much for her to betray him. But was she the type to be a traitor, neither man could guess.

“If it is anyone of the three, they’ll be able to trace us to Siena. We need to leave.” James said. “Who do we trust?”

“Until we know differently, I say we trust M.” Alec answered.   

“Get back to London and report to M, personally. Don’t trust anyone else. We’ll head to Venice and fly north.”

“No we won’t!” Benjamin stood up, shouting.

“Why?”

“I don’t fly.” The young man said adamantly.

James looked back at Alec then nodded. “Okay, another train trip. I’ll need to find fake passports.”

Benjamin interrupted. “I can make us new ones. All I need is a color printer and some other items. And I want my phone back.”

“Your mobile?”

“Yes, it’s my own design. You still have it don’t you?”

James tossed the phone to the young man. Benjamin quickly thumbed through the screens and started listing the items he needed.

“Where are the two of you going?” Alec asked.

“Salzburg.” Benjamin said. “I have a safe house there.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments and kudos. It makes writing so much easier when I know other people are enjoying it.


	7. The Train heading North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Q escape by train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a short chapter but the next one will be longer.

It took Alec four hours to get everything on the list Q had supplied him. After he returned, James left Q with Alec, while he went out to get them clothing for traveling. Both operatives agreed Bond couldn’t return to London just yet. There still too many unanswered questions. In twelve hours, Alec was driving south to Rome and Bond was with Q on a train heading to Villach and then on to Salzburg. The train traveled on the main line, and was not a high speed train, therefore it was going to take eighteen hours for the train to reach the Austrian city.

Q had begged for the two men to let him go. He pleaded his case for not being a terrorist and not a threat to England, but the two blondes would not let the young man out of their sight. They insisted he was their prisoner until proof could be obtained to verify Q’s innocence.

It was evening when the two men climbed into the first class carriage. The porter led the two men to a premier compartment. Q stepped into the plush sleeper. The compartment was already made up for sleeping. The bench seat was folded down and a bed was made with a dark blue blanket and white sheets. He looked around as the porter set their suitcase on the bed before leaving. Staring at the single bed, Q turned and raised an eye brow at James.

“One bed?”

“Less conspicuous traveling as a couple instead of two single men.” James said as he opened the case and pulled out his shaving kit.

“I disagree with you.” Q said remaining still. “There is no way I’m sharing a bed with you.”

Bond smiled. “You already did, if I remember correctly.”

“Not sharing a bed again.” Q glared at the man.

“I’m sure you will be very comfortable sitting up in the chair all night.” As he moved towards small bathroom, James stepped into Q personal space.

Q tripped as he tried to step backwards, away from Bond, collapsing onto the bed with a bounce. James laughed and turned to bathroom while Q scrambled off the bed.

“Better change for dinner. We have reservations in the dining car for eight thirty. I picked out your clothes.” James pushed the door closed.

“Bastard,” Q hissed under his breath.

~Q~

The clothing Bond had chosen for Q fit better than the young man’s own clothes and were far more attractive. Bond had bought him a black cotton shirt with pale grey threads interspaced. Q wore dove grey Italian wool trousers and a silver tie. The whole ensemble made his skin paler and highlighted his dark eyes.

“I look like a boy toy.” Q complained as James’ eyes traveled up and down the boy’s body.

“No, you look delicious.” James stepped closer and ran his thumb along Q’s jaw line. “Could I convince you to try to grow a beard? Three days’ worth of growth would make you quite remarkable. The scruffy look would make you irresistible.”

Q growled and pulled away from James’ hand. The older man laughed softly.

James wore black trousers with a charcoal grey jumper over a white shirt. A light blue tie caught the color of his eyes and made the icy blue orbs shine. Q tried to not stare but couldn’t help himself from catching glances at the man. Even as angry as he was at the man, Q still found Bond to be the most stunning man he ever met.

The lighting was subdued in the dining car. The two men sat on opposite sides of the small table. The muted light softened their features as James watched Q eat his dinner. Q noticed and set his fork down.

“You’re not eating?”

“Not hungry.” James said with a smug look on his face. Q could see the man was teasing him. The blonde’ sexual innuendoes were wearing on Q.

“Did you plan on sleeping with me before you tried to kill me?” The young man asked bluntly expecting a startled reaction.

James tensed only slightly, as he wondered if anyone overheard the man’s question. He carefully wiped the corners of his mouth with linen napkin, then laid it next to his plate. Then leaning forward he whispered.

“I told you before, I didn’t know who you were until I saw you in the scope. I was ordered to shoot a terrorist. You just happen to be that terrorist.”

“I’m not a terrorist.” Q growled.

“Then what are you?” Bond leaned back into his seat. His expression cool.

“A hacker.”

“A hacker who sells secrets to the highest bidder. You’ve been in DGSE’s systems as well as the CIA’s. You hacked both MI6 and MI5. You exposed five FSB agents in Serbia . . .”

“Those FSB agents were kidnapping children and selling into the sex trade.”

James paused. He had not been told that. It wasn’t in the file Mallory had shown him.

“What about Gasparri? They are a major crime organization across Europe. Drugs, prostitution, human trafficking. Were you going to disclose their secrets too?”

Q blinked and looked down at his plate.

“I sometimes have to work with people like Barres. They help me to get my information.”

“Or to sell your information to.” James watched as the young man winced. “Barres set you up, you know that, right? He wanted you dead. When I didn’t fire, he pulled that gun out to shoot you.” Q looked up at the operative.

“Are you saying you saved my life?”

“It took you a while to notice. I’ve been saving your life since yesterday morning.” James leaned back in his seat regarding the young man. “Why would he shoot you? Why would Gasparri want you dead?”

“I must have made a mistake. Somehow they discovered I knew about the plot. I uncovered something they wanted hidden.”

“Like what?” James asked as he took another sip of his wine.

“I don’t know. If I did I would turn the whole lot over the British intelligence and let them handle this mess.”

“I thought you said you were dangerous. You didn’t need our help.”

“Apparently, I may have been mistaken.” Q ducked his head again.

James stood and stepped into the isle. “Apparently.” He glared down at the young man. James waited till Q stood then he took the young man by the arm and directed him back to their compartment.

~Q~

Later that night they laid side by side in the bed. Bond had trapped Q, forcing him lay down in the bed. Bond was on the outside while Q was caught between the wall and the blonde. Both men wore pajama bottoms and t-shirts. The blue night light over the door bathed the room in shades and shadows.

“If I hadn’t slept with you, I would be dead now, wouldn’t I?” The young man asked into the darkness. His voice sounded hollow.

James laid still wondering how to answer such a cold question.

“You would have killed me without a single thought.” Q continued.

James fingers slipped around the grip of the automatic under his pillow.

“I am trained to kill. You were a threat and I was ordered to kill you.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No . . . I had reasons to believe you were . . . not as you were reported to be.”

“That I wasn’t a threat . . . a terrorist?”

“What’s the over used line . . . one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”

“But you don’t trust me, do you?” Q rolled up on his side and looked at the shadowed figure beside him in the bed.

“No, not yet. You haven’t given me a reason to kill you but no I don’t trust you either.”

“Even though we’ve slept together?”

“None of those three things are connected.” James said as indifferently as he could. He wasn’t completely sure why he didn’t shoot Q, but he wasn’t willing to let the boy know that.

“You mean . . . even though we were together . . . even though we . . . we had sex together . . . you would still have killed me.”

James laid there in silence as his mind tried to sort through the possible answers to that very question. James let his hand move away from the gun.

“Yes.” His voice sounded brittle and dry.

“Then why didn’t you let Barres kill me? Why did you kill him instead of me?”

James rolled over and tried to see into Q’s face. The blue light only highlighted the sharp cheekbones and the angle of his cheek. The rest of the young man’s face was lost in the darkness. Instinctively, James reached up and curled his hand. He dragged his knuckles over the boy’s cheek and back into the dark curls.

“I . . . I trusted you more than I trusted Barres.”

“You trusted yourself more than your own intel?” Q asked. James could hear the emotion in the man’s voice.

“Yes.”

“Do you believe I’m now working for England and not against her?”

“I’m not sure about that . . . but I know that you are more than the report I was given.”

“Thank you, James.”

Q twisted and laid back down in the bed. The two men laid silently beside one another as the sound of the train hurling down the tracks was soft hum in the background. They could hear each other breath and it was apparent neither one was asleep.

“James . . .” Q whispered this time.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for saving my life.”

Q rolled up on to his elbow and leaned over the prone blonde. It the dark, Q bent down and tried to kiss James’ mouth, but missed. Catching the corner of his lips. As James’ hand reached up to cup the young man’s face, Q pulled back and rolled away. Moving to face the wall behind them. James waited a moment then moved closer and spooned up behind the young man. Then, in a position that mirrored their movements few nights earlier, the two men fell asleep. James sleeping behind Q, with his arm protectively wrapped around the boy’s waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments welcomed and enjoyed. Please check with the tags. There will be graphic torture scene coming up in the next chapter.


	8. Alec's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is questioned about Bond and Q.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger for torture. Please respect your triggers.

Alec was exhausted when he climbed off the jet at the secured airport. It was private strip near West Hyde, in the country north of London. Not as easily accessible as Heathrow but much safer for transfer of secret agents and high security prisoners. Alec had driven two hours back from Siena to Rome, then had a two hour flight from Rome to London. He had only slept three hours in the last fifty-six and he was running on caffeine and adrenaline at that point. Climbing into the back seat of the limo, he was granted at least another two hours of sleep before the car reached Vauxhall. Normally he would drive himself, but now sleep won out over control.

He tipped his head back and stretched his neck over the back of the seat. He closed his eyes, growling softly at the how gritty they felt. When this was over, James was going to owe him a weekend on a Spanish beach with a long leg blonde. With his eyes closed he planned out how he was going to explain everything to Mallory. How he was going to address the possibility of another traitor within the British government. He took a deep breath and slowly leased it. His body started to float as sleep crept into his mind.

Suddenly the car lurched sideways. The sound of scraping metal and shattering glass crescendo in the confined space. Alec opened his eyes to see the driver slumped over the wheel. The airbag had deployed and talc covered the man’s black suit. Just as he formed the thought of ‘car accident,’ Alec was thrown violently sideways, his head hitting the glass of the left rear door. The sharp pain of his head bouncing off the bullet proof glass. Then the return of darkness.

The construction lorry had pushed the limo into the guard rail and pinned it there. The men in the large vehicle jumped out with guns already in their hands. Slowly they approached the battered black car. They could see the driver was already dead. The passenger in the backseat was unconscious and bleeding from a wound to the head.

“Quick, get him out of there, before someone drives by.”

One of the thugs leaped up on the boot of the car and kicked in the rear windscreen. Hands reached in and pulled Alec from the backseat. A second car pulled up and the men pushed Alec into the back of the SUV. The man who had been directing the kidnapping lit a signal flare. He tossed it on to the ground near a spreading pool of petrol.

The SUV drove off as the gas ignited and quickly consumed both vehicles. The dead driver still trapped within the limo. Within minutes, the SUV vanished down the road as the explosion destroyed the remnants of the accident.

~Q~

Alec slowly woke. His head pounded and his body ached. He was sitting up and he remained still while he assessed where he was. He felt he was cold and it took him an embarrassing long time to realize it was because he was naked. Shifting slightly, he felt the restraints on his wrists and ankles. He was tied to the chair, his forearms lashed to the wooden arms of the chair.

He let his head lull to the side as if he was still sleeping. He slit his eyes to try and see where he was. The room was dark and the only light was a spot on him.

“We know you’re awake. Stop trying to fool us.” The voice was sharp and clear. Slightly nasally and with an almost aristocratic tone.

Alec shifted again and sat up straighter. He blinked into the bright light. There was movement behind the glare but he was unable to make out distinctive shapes. One maybe two interrogators.

“What do you want?” Alec asked. His voice was rough.

“Where is Bond and the boy?”

“Who?”

The pain was instant. The lead bar crashed down on his left hand. He felt the bones break across the back of the hand.

Alec gritted his teeth as he swallowed the scream of pain. He twisted to see the shadow standing to his left. A pipe raised to hit him again.

“Where is Bond and Q?”

“I didn’t find them.”

The lead bar crashed down again, closer to Alec’s wrist this time. More broken bones. Crushed tissue. Swelling and blood. With every beat of his heart he could feel the stabbing pain traveling up his arm.

“We can do this all day. Can you?”

Alec swallowed a moan. He would not last long if they planned on hitting him every time. They obviously didn’t expect him to walk out of this room alive.

“I’m not bloody lying! They fucking left Rome by the time I got there! I tried Siena and Florence. I was going to go to Venice but was called back. Fuck!” Keep the lies close to the truth Alec told himself.

“Why did you try those places?”

“That bastard . . . James . . . he’s been there several times. He knows those cities well. He would fucking hide there if he could reach them!” Alec answered through gritting teeth.

“If he knows them so well, how do you know he’s not there and you just missed him?”

“Because . . . I fucking know them too! I know where he would go . . . and he wasn’t the hell there!”

“Where he go?”

“I don’t know!” The bar came down again with sickening whack. Alec knew his wrist was broken without even having to look. His hand was swollen now and turning a horrific shade of purple black.

His body tensed and his muscles locked with the agonizing pain. He wondered if he was going to sick. That would be great to add insult to injury. Vomiting all over himself while theses bastards break every bone in his body.

“I DON’T KNOW!” he shouted.

The bar came down again and shattered his forearm. Alec felt dizzy. He bit his tongue, stopping himself for screaming. He was going to pass out soon. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus on something other than the pain. Anything else.

He heard the whispered conversation of two people in front of him. He slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus on the people standing behind the light.

“Bond’s been listed as rogue.” Alec said panting. “He is being hunted by MI6 . . . If he can elude them, he can elude anyone.” The blonde licked his dry lips. “You won’t ever be able to find him. Even if the hacker is with him.”

“What do you mean ‘if Q is with him’?”

“They might be traveling separate. That would make it even harder to find them?”

“Why would they be traveling separate?”

“Why the bloody hell would they be traveling together!?” Alec closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. In through his nose and out through his mouth.

“Bond was supposed to kill Q. Why didn’t he?”

“You’ll have to ask him! I have no idea!”

Alec could hear the heated whispers continue again.

“Where would he go?” the interrogator started again.

“He has connections all over the world. People he can go to . . . He’s fucking disappeared before! . . . He’s been reported dead several times only to reappear, alive and well, the bastard!”

“Like who?”

He blinked into the light but Alec remained silent. The lead bar came down for a fifth time on his arm, close to his elbow. Now the pain was so constant it could get no worse. He groaned and tried to twist away from the pain.

“This is getting us nowhere.” A new voice that Alec hadn’t heard before. A softer voice with a slight Irish accent. “Use the drugs.”

There was a scrap of shoes across concrete and movement behind the light. Alec sat still as a shadow moved out around the light and to the right side of his body. When he saw the hypodermic needle and the syringe, he tried to pull away. Tried to knock the chair over, but the man with lead bar, swung it and hit Alec in the chest. The blonde felt the crush of ribs as his breath was smacked out of him.

The sharp jab of pain as the needle plunged into his neck. And then stinging burn as the drug was pushed into him. The shadow stepped back and disappeared behind the bright light.

“It won’t take long.” Alec heard the first voice say.

Alec closed his eyes. His arm throbbed and his heart pounded in his chest. He tasted blood in his mouth from where he bit his own tongue. A cold sweat covered his naked body and he thought he was going to vomit any minute now. He tried to slow his breathing. Relax and slow his heart down. His excited state would spread the drug through his system faster. He needed to calm down.

Alec’s mind swept through his knowledge of chemical interrogations. There were several different drugs that could be used. Most were actually worthless as ‘truth serums’. But if these bastards had given him something that would lower his mental barriers, then he would be in trouble. LSD or PCP would cause him to hallucinate and be unable to distinguish between his inner and outer monologue.

Alec felt himself shiver in the chair. His muscles started twitching uncontrollably. Although his body was cold, he felt a warmth radiating out from his abdomen. The chemical was taking hold. The light started to blur in his vision. His body felt as if it could float away from the darkness of the room. Fortunately the pain in his arm diminished as the drug took effect. The man behind the light spoke to him. It sounded like Alec was under water. The voice coming to him through thick layers of air.

“Trevelyan, where did Bond go?”

Alec tried to fight his desire to answer.

“Where would Bond take Q?”

“Aust . . . Austr . . .” He fought. “Australia . . . Serbia . . . Japan . . . Scotland.” Alec slurred. His head nodded forward and his chin rested on his chest. Alec started to sing softly.

“He can’t be telling us the truth.” The Irish voice said. “You’ve have underestimated his training.”

Alec started singing louder. It was a song from the navy.

“No, wait. The FSB agents were in Belgrade. Q has contacts in that city. They could be in Serbia.” The first voice said.

Alec lifted his head and slurred through another verse. He tried to hold his head up and looked as he saw shadows move around the light and up to him. The shadows developed into forms with faces. Alec forced himself to look up, blinking as the light blinded him. The faces were grotesques like melting creepy clowns. Alec shuttered and tried to pull back. His arm throbbed in pain as he pulled the broken bones against the restraints. He saw the glint of the blade. Alec tried again to pull back. He screamed in pain, as the knife cut the ropes holding him to the chair.

“Take him and lock him up. I have calls to make. If he is lying to us, we will be back with power tools.”

Alec mumbled and tried to push back from the ugly faces. He waved his uninjured hand trying to force the knife away. An arm wrapped around under his shoulders and lifted him up. Alec stumbled forward as the shadow who had been hitting him with the lead pipe pulled him out of the room. His bare feet scrapped along the concrete floor. He stepped on gravel and debris as the man dragged Alec down a dark passage. He could hear his breath echoing off the walls and the sound of his bare feet padding down the hall.

The place smelled sour. The scent of rot and decay as well as blood and sweat. Alec finally couldn’t stop himself. His stomach cramped and he vomited. Doubling over and leaning heavily against the man holding him. Alec spit the contents of his stomach over the man’s shoes and the floor.

“You fucking arse-wipe!” the man shouted at Alec. He let go of the agent and Alec slumped backwards and into the cold concrete wall. “Look at what you fuck’en done!”

Alec force himself to stand up as straight as he lunge forward. His forehead connected with the man’s nose. Blood sprayed across Alec’s face as the man groaned and started to fall to the floor. Alec caught himself before he fell too. He threw his right hand out and steadied himself against the wall. The man was laying on the concrete floor. Alec blinked and then brought his foot up several inches. He aimed over the man’s throat and kicked down. Alec’s heal crushed the man’s larynx. The sound of wet gurgling then a final gasp as the man died.

Alec stumbled down the hall. His hand dragging along; holding him up whenever he stopped to try and locate his surroundings. Alec heard a sound. In his addled brain he couldn’t identify it. It could be a train or people walking. A cascade of water or an idling car. He moved towards the sound. The temperature in the hall was getting colder and colder. The floor seemed to become more littered with debris. Through the darkness, he tried to focus his drug blurred vision. The floor seemed to be moving, undulating. He took a step forward then fell into the floor.

The stream was fast moving. It pulled Alec along and down the spill way. He fell over the damn and into the canal lock. The cold water pulling him away from the abandoned canal keeper’s building.

~Q~

Maddy and Albert Dunbar were cherub faced children who enjoyed playing in their garden. Their parents had warned them about getting to close to the canal at the end of the garden, but the children enjoyed throwing stones into the black water and waving at the passing boats. While their parents were fixing dinner, the two young children rushed from the house promising they were only going to feed their pet rabbit, Archibald. The children ran pass the hutch and down to the edge of the stone wall lining the canal. They stood watching the red barge sail slowly pass. The small house brightly painted with stylized flowers. The boat pilot waved at the children as the barge puttered slowing down the canal. Maddy and Albert waved back.

As the boat passed, the children noticed the funny looking log floating slowly behind the barge. Albert picked up a stone and threw it at the long pale log. It rolled and righted itself. The shoulder and arm of the man surfaced first and rolled over. The pale face with the dark dirty blonde hair were visible.

Maddy screamed. The boat pilot turned to see the children screaming and pointing at the water. He turned and saw the body of the man floating in the wake of his boat. He quickly stopped the engines and pulled the boat to the side of the canal. Maddy’s and Albert’s father had come running down to the water.

“What is it!? What’s wrong!?” Mathew Dunbar ran to his frighten children. He saw what they were pointing at. Mathew jumped into the cold water of the canal and swam the short distance to the man. He grabbed the body and pulled it over to the barge. The pilot reached down and helped Mathew pull the man from the water.

Alec Trevelyan was broken and bloodied. Infection had started in his wounds. He was suffering from hypothermia but Alec was alive. He was breathing. And he would find the men who did this to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments Welcomed and enjoyed.


	9. Salzburg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James receives the news about Alec.

James and Q got off the train in Salzburg. James carried the suitcase as Q pushed through the crowds the Lokalbahn. The quaint little red and yellow trollies rattled down their tracks, taking passengers into the city. Q and James rode the trolley over the river and two stops later, Q jumped down on to the platform with James right behind him.

The trained operative looked around him. The area was older with Cold War vintage apartment blocks. The grey concrete buildings with narrow windows were bland and lacked the normal charm of the buildings in the city.

Q walked up to the door and held it open to the blonde.

“Could you have found a more depressing place to live?” James asked as he walked pass the young man.

Q frowned, then looked around him. The building was depressing. He never noticed that before. The few trees that grew in the common areas were feeble and quickly losing their leaves in the cold wind coming down the mountains. None of residents in the building seem to smile. Their faces were as grey as the building. Q let go of the door and it slammed shut on its aged hinges.

“I chose this place for its anonymity, not the view.” Q said as he rushed up the steps behind Bond. “Third floor.”

The two men climbed the industrial steps and walked down the cold poor lite hallway. Q unlocked the door and two men stepped into the flat. Another small room, but not as small as Q’s flat in Rome. Again there was only one window and a small bathroom off to the side. Bond wondered for a moment if Q chose the flats because of seclusion or similarities. Unlike the flat in Rome, this one was even more sparsely furnished. There were only two wire racks against the wall with only two computer towers sitting on them. There was the futon bed and the desk, but no chair or monitors.

Q pulled the messenger bag from his shoulder and removed the laptop. He started to set it up on the table.

“Is the evidence here?” James asked.

“No, this site is shut down right now. The evidence is on a flash drive over at RVS, in a deposit box.”

Bond was familiar with the bank on the opposite side of the river from them.

“Then what are we doing here?” James asked.

Q look up from his laptop.

“This is where we are going to stay.” Q said confused.

“No, we are not.” James looked around the empty flat. “Is there anything you need to grab?”

“What? . . . No, but . . .”

James stepped forward and closed the laptop. He grabbed it off the table and slipped it back into Q’s messenger bag. Then he forcefully wrapped his hand around Q’s upper arm and pulled him out of the dingy flat.

“I refuse to be a stereotype. A Deighton spy.”

“Who?”

“Harry Palmer.”

“I don’t know any Harry Palmer.” Q said as he struggled against the agent.

“You need to read more.” Bond said and he started down the concrete steps.

“But where are we going?” Q asked as he stumbled, catching himself and grabbing the railing.

“Any where else.”

They walked about a block before James was able to flag down a taxi.

“Hotel Sacher, bitte.”

The taxi took off and headed east over the river.

“I can’t afford the Sacher,” Q said softly from beside James.

“No, but I can and I won’t stay in a dump if I can avoid it.”

~Q~

“Welcome the Hotel Sacher,” the receptionist said. He was a young man in his late twenties. His black hair was slicked back, making his features narrow. He had pale skin but yellowing teeth. Obvious smoker.

“Hallo,” James said with a perfect German accent. “We would like a room, please.” He returned to English.

“Yes, sir. Ah . . . we only have our executive suites available.” The young man typed at his screen.

“That will be except able.”

“Passport please.” The receptionist smiled. He held his hand out to Bond then rang the small desk bell to summon the bell boy.

Bond smoothly pulled out this passport from his pocket and handed over to the young man. James turned to see Q was looking up at the orinate fixtures in the marble and glass lobby. He had not heard a single word of the conversation between James and clerk. James reached forward and moved Q’s lapel over. He reached into the man’s breast pocket and pulled out the red booklet. Q’s eyes flashed over at James when he felt the slide of fingers across his body.

“Passport.” James said softly, but kept hold of Q’s clothes.

He handed to the passport to the clerk who quickly read the names. “Richard Sterling and Benjamin . . . Sterling?” He looked up at the two men.

“My husband.” James smiled as he noticed Q blush deeply.

“Certainly.” The man quickly typed out the rest of the registration and then returned the passports. He activated two key cards and handed them to the bell boy. “Mozart Suite. Please enjoy your stay.”

“Thank you,” James turned to leave.

The bell boy bowed and took the keys. James and Q followed the boy to the mirrored lift and up to the suite. After the door closed, Q turned to James.

“Why did you tell him we are married?”

“Like the train, less suspicious.”

“Two gay Englishmen? Less suspicious?” Q asked sarcastically.

“Less suspicious than two straight Englishmen sharing a one bedroom suite.”

Q glanced around quickly. “One bed again?”

“Yes, until you prove your innocence, I’m not letting you out of my sight.” James said as he walked over the phone. “Now get on that damn computer of yours and start helping me find the traitor.” He picked up the receiver. “Yes, Sterling here in the Mozart Suite. Champagne and Beluga caviar for two.” He set the receiver down. “I’m going to freshen up. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can sneak out.” James removed his gun from its holster and checked it in front of the young man. “I will hear everything you do.”

James pulled on the knot of his tie and set off for the bathroom. He left the door ajar as he leaned heavy on the marble vanity. Glancing up at himself in the mirror, he hoped Q believed the lie he was telling him.

Fifteen minutes later, the bell boy arrived with room service. The champagne was opened and poured. James was sipping on a glass but Q ignored the one beside his elbow. He was busy working on tracking possible contacts between Gasparri crime family and members of the British government.

James smeared the blini with the crème fraiche before spooning the black rich caviar on top. He walked over and stood beside Q.

“Here, eat.” He held the blini out to the young man.

Q turned and looked at the morsel between the man’s fingers. He blinked and wrinkled his brow.

“What is it?”

“Delicious, eat.”

Q leaned forward and opened his mouth. He took the whole portion into his mouth, then licked at the crème fraiche on James’ fingers. The blonde’s heart suddenly beat quicker as he watched the pink tongue lap at his thumb. Q chewed slowly then smiled.

“Yes, but salty . . .”

“That’s why there is champagne beside you.”

Q glanced beside himself and seem surprised to see the glass. He lifted it and took a sip. He hummed and waved it salute to the blonde.

“You need a keeper, don’t you?” James asked as he looked down into Q’s hazel green eyes.

“I do not. I just . . . sometimes . . . get so involve with my work, I forget to do things.” Q blushed and twisted back around in his seat.

“Things like eating and sleeping?”

“I’ve eaten.” Q said defensively. “Besides, the sooner I prove I’m innocent the sooner you’ll let me escape.”

James sat down and watched the young man work. He was supposed to kill this man. He was supposed to stop him from doing any damage, or any more damage to the government computers, but here they were. He was alive and James was encouraging him to hack into MI5 and MI6 servers. James took another sip of alcohol wondering how he was going to explain this to Mallory.

Q stopped typing. He leaned back into his seat and seemed to start shaking slightly.

“What is it? What did you find?” James asked as he stood and walked up behind the young man.

“Alec.”

“What about him?”

“There’s a dispatch here . . . it says he was . . . James, Alec is dead. He was killed.”

~Q~

Alec woke with a pounding headache and every muscle in his body demanding painkillers.

“006, time to wake up.”

Alec heard the voice. It seemed familiar, friendly. He forced himself to lay still and evaluate where he might be now. It was soft and warm. He was prone and not sitting in a chair. Well, that was a good start. He heard voices in the background, at a distance, not in the room he was in.

“Trevelyan, you’ve been asleep for twelve hours now. The doctors want you awake before they proceed.”

Tanner. That’s who belonged to the voice Alec was hearing. Bill Tanner.

Alec tried to open his eyes, but the muscles refused to work. His mouth tasted like blood and dirt. He licked his dry lips and shifted in the bed. Every muscle in his body screamed at him. His left arm throbbed. A hiss escaped his mouth as he stilled.

“As soon as the doctors know you can wake up, they’ll up the pain meds. Until then you will tuff it out.” Tanner said watching the operative fight back up to consciousness.

Alec tried again to slowly open his eyes. It felt like his eyelids were glued down over his eyes. The lashes were clumped and clung together. Finally they opened and he looked up at the friendly round face of the chief of staff.

“Where am I?” Alec’s voice was brittle and dry.

Tanner stepped forward and picked up the cup from the bedside table. He held the straw to Alec’s lips. The man was grateful for the water.

“Civilian hospital in North London. You were found floating in a canal between West Hyde and Maple Cross. You were naked and your arm was broken.”

Alec looked down at his wrapped left arm. The interrogation came flooding back to him and he winced.

“The driver?”

“Dead. Any idea who they were?” Tanner set the cup back down.

“Three of them. I was in some kind of bunker or concrete pill box. There was leaves and debris on the floor. It smelled of decay. Water?”

“A canal lock building?”

“Maybe. They wanted to know where James was. They were questioning me about Q.”

“Are they together?”

“Yes.”

“Bond used his Black Barclay card today in Salzburg, Austria. Why is he there?”

“Q, the hacker, said he had evidence of a traitor in the intelligence agencies. Someone working with several criminal groups. The original evidence was on the servers in Rome, but . . .”

“But they were damaged as soon as we tried to remove them from that flat.” Tanner knitted his brow. “We’ve listed you as dead. Said you were killed in the car accident. Your kidnappers shouldn’t come looking for you. You are completely safe here.” Alec nodded his head. “I still don’t understand why Bond is with this Q in Salzburg. Did he tell you who this traitor might be?”

Alec nodded and closed his eyes.

“Q said he would help us find who is behind this. James said the mission had been compromised. The Carabinieri were there waiting for him. They were in the church.”

“Are you sure? Is Bond sure?”

“Yes, he had to change sniper nests at the last moment. It was a set up. Barres knew the shot was to come from the church.” Alec opened his eyes again and stared at Tanner. The implications were clear.

Alec heard Tanner curse under his breath.

“Good job, 006. I’ll send the doctors in. They are going to have to operate on your hand to put it back together again. Four to six month re-cooperation, but don’t worry. They said it will be fully functional when they are done.” Tanner gently rested his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Just tell them to give me something to put me out right now.” Alec growled.

Tanner smiled. “Sure thing.” He turned to leave. “Oh why did Bond decide to shoot Barres instead of both Barres and the hacker?”

Alec closed his eyes. He wouldn’t betray James. He wouldn’t tell Tanner that James had been intimate with the young man.

“You will need to ask him that yourself.”

“When I see him again. I’m going to keep you dead to MI6 until we are sure we are clean.””

Tanner closed the door as he left. A moment later a doctor and two nurses entered the hospital room. Alec tried to keep his eyes closed. He didn’t need to see the worry and doubt in their eyes.

~Q~

James sat on the couch reading and rereading the report of Alec Trevelyan’s death. The car he was driving was hit by a construction lorry. Pinned to a retaining wall and burst into flames. Of course, Alec was driving the car. He would never let someone else drive him. All those years and all those missions. The gun shots and knife fights. The explosions and crashes. The repeated times he should not have survived; neither of them should have survived. But this is how Alec Trevelyan died, 006, in a car accident driving home from the airport.

James took another drink of vodka. He didn’t waste time with a glass, he was drinking straight from the bottle. He stared at the photograph of the burned out vehicles. The charred remains in the white body bag. The stupidity of it all.

Alec, his Alec. His one true friend through everything. The Navy, and SBS. Recruitment into MI6 and the years working up to double ‘O’ status. The missions and the women. Alec had been there with him through it all. Alec had been there when he returned from Scotland with M’s body. He had been there when Vesper betrayed him. Alec’s laughing green eyes were there to help him through it all. Now his friend was gone. Dead. James took another drink.

Q watched from the opposite side of the room. He watched as darkness swept across the man’s face and his crystal blue eyes dulled with anger and sadness and alcohol. Q wondered what he could do. He opened his computer and started searching for more information on the accident. Where were the lorry drivers? Why weren’t they killed in the accident? He typed rapidly searching in various sites. Local newspapers, law enforcement reports. Q’s fingers paused over the keys just as the thought of hacking back into MI6 came to him.

“If I had killed you, Alec would be alive. He and I would both be alive and having a drink together in London tonight.” James said somberly from the sofa.

Q felt an ice cold finger slide down his back. He rested his fingers on the keyboard and tried to swallow the lump in his throat down.

“I should have just pulled the trigger. . . Not second guessed myself. . . You would be dead and he would be alive.”

“The traitor would be alive too.” Q said so softly, it was almost a whisper.

“The traitor . . .”

“The person who warned Barres. The person who arranged for you to be captured in Rome . . . who sent those men to my flat.” Q twisted in his chair to look the blonde in the face. “The traitor we still need to stop.”

James stared at the young man. Q had never seen anyone with such cold ruthless eyes before. It terrified him.

“We will stop him.” James said with a bitterness in his voice. “I will stop him, then . . . then I will kill you.”

“Killing me won’t bring Alec back.” Q started to shake.

“No, but it will start making amends to my friend. You will not leave my side until we are done. And when we are done . . .”

“You are going to shoot me.”

James took another swig of the vodka. The bottle was now empty. The man’s eyes were red with alcohol. His face flushed. He stood with precision that surprised the young man. James stalked across the room towards Q.

Q had always wondered about the animals paralyzed with fear when they realized they were being stalked by a predator. Now he knew exactly how they felt. The young man so frightened he couldn’t move. He sat perfectly still as James set the empty bottle next to the computer. With his right hand he closed the laptop as it was running. James grabbed Q’s shoulder with his left hand.

“We’re going to bed.” He pulled the young man up.

“I’ll sleep out here . . .”

“You don’t get to make decisions anymore. I said you were not to leave my side. Let’s go.” James voice growled.

Q winced at the pinch to the muscles of his shoulder as James lifted him up. The blonde pushed the smaller man into the bedroom before he let go of him.

“I promise I won’t . . .”

“Just shut up and get undressed. I don’t want to touch you, but I want to sleep.” James moved to the opposite side of the bed after he locked the door, slipping the key into his trouser pocket.

Q blinked and wondered what he should do. “I’ll sleep with my clothes on.”

“I don’t give a damn.” James said as he placed his gun under the pillow. He pulled his shirt off and then undid the buttons on his trousers and stepped out of them. He was standing in his blue boxers when he lifted the duvet and slipped under.

Q stood looking at him, confused and scared. He kicked his shoes off and unbuttoned the jeans he was wearing. He let them slip off his narrow waist and pool on the floor. He kept his shirt on and his pants. He crawled into the bed and rolled over onto his side. His back to James. When the lights were turned off, he felt his heart begin to race. He tensed waiting for the attack.

It never came. The darkness was heavy and folded over the two men. They laid there in silence, with just the bounding of Q’s heartbeat in his ears. Then he heard it. The soft muted sob. Just once. Only for a second, then silence. Nothing more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	10. The Townhouse in Kensington

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James gets Q back to London and makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, angry sex in this chapter. The smut is in the first two thirds of the chapter if you want to skip it.

It took two days for James and Q to return to London. Bond stole the car in Salzburg. He changed the tags on the car twice before they crossed at Calais. He rarely spoke to the young man beside him on the front seat of the car. James knew he was being petty. Q was not to blame to Alec’s death. Q was not the enemy per say, but the true responsible party was hidden. James didn’t know exactly who he needed to be going after. He didn’t know who he needed to rage at. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right, but Q by his own admission was involved with these people and right now, in James’ mind, he was just as guilty.

It took two hours to drive back into London from the coast. The traffic was heavy but kept moving. James parked the car with the motor running near Canary Warf. He gave the car twenty minutes before it was stolen again. Grabbing the suitcase from the backseat, he took Q’s arm and pulled him into the Tube. After changing trains at Westminster, they stepped out of the station at High Street Kensington short time later. From there it was a three block walk to the town house James shared with Alec.

He finally let go of Q’s arm as he rushed up the steps to the red front door, past the black wrought iron fence. Q leaned back against one of the white pillars that framed the front porch. James unlocked the door and then pulled the young man inside. The blonde quickly typed out the key code to disconnect the alarm system. Once the door was closed the alarm reengaged, James paused and looked around his house.

It was the policy of MI6 to quickly clean out the homes of killed agents. This was done just in case the operative had left any incriminating evidence or classified paperwork at their residences. Within forty-eight to seventy-two hours of a reported death, workmen came in and cleared everything out of the home. Clothes, furniture, artwork, everything. James and Alec shared the townhouse and had more than one occasion, come home to find it cleared of not only their belongs, but that of the other agent. James expected to come into an empty house. But it wasn’t.

He first noticed the cherry table in the hallway, next to the stairs. The porcelain bowl he had acquired somewhere in the Far East, sat in the middle of it with the collection of bits and pieces. Each man would empty their pockets into the bowl upon arriving home from missions. There were coins from foreign countries and keys to various hotels.

James stepped through the pocket doors and into their living room. The tall book shelves still held their collection of novels and war histories. The gold gilt mirror that once belong to Russian nobility, still hung over the mantle of the fireplace. Alec’s piano was still in the corner.

James forgot about the young man and rushed up the stairs to the bedroom. He ran into Alec’s room and went to the closet. The clothes were still there. Alec’s clothes were there.

James could feel the pressure lifting from his body. It had been three days since Alec was reported dead in the papers. Four days since the report was sent out. In four days, MI6 had not cleaned out the townhouse. That could only mean, they expected him to return to it. Alec had to be alive!

James felt light headed and practically giddy with relief. He walked out of Alec’s room knowing he would see the crazy Russian again. That’s when he heard the female voice on the alarm system.

“Incorrect pin.”

James rushed down the steps to see Q typing in another series of numbers. This time the voice said.

“Alarm disengaged. Ready to arm.”

Q reached for the doorknob of the front door, just as James dove off the last step of the stairs. James wrapped his arms around Q’s waist and pulled him back. The young man screamed as his arms flailed for the door.

“LET GO OF ME, YOU BASTARD!”

“NO.”

James pulled Q back away from the door and spun him around. Q quickly made a fist and punched at the man’s face. It knocked James’ head back but didn’t move his body. James returned the punch and then had to catch the young man before he fell backwards. He pulled Q up and closer to his body. The young man growled and threw himself forward. The two men crashed to the floor in a pile of limbs and punches. Bond was stronger and his hits were more actuate but Q was wiry and difficult to pin down. Q tried to bite at James’ wrist and knee him in the groin.

“JUST LET ME GO!” Q screamed. James growled.

James finally rolled them over and pinned Q underneath him. His body resting on top of the young man. Q’s wrists trapped in James’ hands. Both men were panting. Q looked up into James’ crystal blue eyes. The powerful, lethal expression on the blonde’s face. The cold and calculating killer. Still the most interesting and gorgeous man, Q had ever seen.

Without thinking the young man lifted up his body and kissed the blonde. Bond paused for a moment looking down into Q’s startled face. The man was surprised by his own actions. Then Bond leaned down and possessively kissed Q back. Biting and nipping as lips smeared against each other. Q’s body pushed up into the weight of the other man. Bond could feel the need of Q. He twisted Q’s hands closer together and clasped them with a single hand of his. With one hand free, he slipped to the side of Q’s body and dragged his hand down the taught muscles of the boy’s body.

Q tried to pull from James’ hold as his body pushed up again. He hungrily kissed at the blonde. Smearing his tongue over James’. The older man twisted and went to work on Q’s neck. Sucking kisses and small nips had the young man panting and begging.

“James . . . you fucking bastard . . . I want . . .”

Bond laughed as he dragged his palm over Q’s clothed erection. A long deep moan came out of the young man. He arched up into the blonde’s hand.

“Please . . .” Q gasped.

James deftly undid Q’s belt and unbuttoned the trousers. His hand slipped down between the man’s trousers and his pants. A moist stain on the cotton garment was warm. For days James had been feeding his anger and frustration, now he knew his friend was alive and before him was a beautiful young man who apparently wanted him. James’ possessive nature took hold.

James bit down hard on the muscles at the juncture of Q’s neck and shoulder. The young man cried out and twisted in James’ grip. James’ fingers toyed with the outline of the cock under the soft cotton as he moved up to whisper in Q’s ear.

“You want this don’t you?”

“You bastard . . . James . . . I need . . . fuck, just touch me . . .”

“I am.” James dragged the tip of his nose around the shell of Q’s ear, before he buried it in those dark curls. “I’m going to touch you so slow it will be torture.”

“It already is . . . please . . .” Q tried to twist his body to kiss James again.

James could feel his own length hard and heavy inside his trousers. The confines in the fabric was painful. With every twist against him, Q gave James the relief of friction against his cock. The young man’s thigh nestled between James’ legs. The more he teased Q, the more satisfaction he received. James rubbed his thumb over the leaky slit of Q’s prick and was rewarded with another deep moan from the boy. A moan so deep and round, he felt it reverberated within his own body.

“Such a dirty little boy.” James whispered again.

Q bucked and twisted. He begged and pleaded. It was becoming too much. Tears started to seep from the corners of his eyes. His skin burned with blush.

“Please, James . . . touch me . . .”

James easily slipped his hand under the waistband of the pants. He grasped the heavy full cock and gave it only a few jerks when every muscle in Q’s body tensed. James felt the warm cover his hand. His face right beside Q’s, as he watched the boy’s expression as he came. The twitches and spasms between James’ thighs was the final straw. The blonde felt his own climax almost in surprise.

The two men laid on the wooden floor panting. James slowly let go of Q’s wrists and dragged his fingers down the strained muscles in the young man’s arms. He rolled away slightly, giving Q room to breathe as they both felt the warm post colloidal glow.

James was actually feeling good. Feeling alive. Something he hadn’t since seeing Q in the scope six days earlier. He closed his eyes and let the chemicals of sex flow through him. He was relaxed, his friend was alive and he had just had some terrific sex.

“Will you promise to make it quick and painless?” Q said softly.

James opened his eyes and blinked. He wasn’t sure he had actually heard the boy. He turned his head to see Q was crying. Tears were flowing down from the corners of his eyes. James rolled back up on his shoulder so he could see Q’s expression better.

“What?”

“Will you promise . . . when you kill me . . . you will make it as quick and painless as you can. I don’t want to . . . suffer.”

James raised his hand up and gently wiped the tears from Q’s face.

“Alec is alive.”

Q blinked. He looked up into James’ bright blue eyes but he couldn’t understand what had been said to him. It was like a foreign language.

“He’s . . .”

“I know he’s alive because of what I found here. Alec is alive.”

Q swallowed and James watched as a dark blush came over Q’s face.

“Is that why you . . . we just . . .”

“Yes and no. I can’t tell you how happy I am he’s alive, but I promise you, I never think of him when I’m having sex with you. You capture my complete attention then.”

“Oh . . . so this was a farewell . . .”

James held his finger up to Q’s lips to shush the man.

“I will promise . . . if you prove your innocence, I won’t kill you. If you help me find the traitor, I’ll help you disappear. I get you out of the country and to safety.”

Q blinked again. His face seemed to be even more confused.

“You will?”

“I promise.” James wiped more tears from Q’s cheeks. He smiled down at the confused young man. “Now, the least you can do, is take a shower with me and help clean me up. You made me come in the pants like some teenager.”

“Oh what a shame, old man. How embarrassing for you.” Q finally smiled back. James was taken at how young it made Q look. He liked the way it wrinkled Q’s eyes and broadened his mouth.

James leaned forward and kissed it again.

“There are much more comfortable places to lay down in this house.”

“Well then, maybe we should find them.”

~Q~

James pushed into the young man underneath him. Q had his hips up, presented to the blonde and his shoulders and face buried into the pillows and sheets. The room was dark and the smell of sweat, and sex permeated the air. James moved slowly, making sure he was dragging the head of his cock over the young man’s prostate. Q moaned and clawed at the sheets.

“Please, James . . . touch me . . .”

Bond listened to the young man beg under him. It sparked a hidden part of his psyche. The need to dominate. He relished the control he had over the brunet. His fingers bruising the pale skin of the man’s hips. James pushed deeper and turned his head up. He stretched out his spin and started rocking hard and fast into the welcoming heat. Hearing the pleas break into grunts and meaningless sounds, he growled. The young man’s body rocked and trembled under Bond’s hands.

“Please . . .”

James let go with his right hand and reached down under the boy’s body. The blonde’s fingertips lightly brushing over the tight velvet sack of the brunet’s bollocks. Q groaned again; a hopeless plea of mercy. James grasped the heavy weeping cock. He stroked it only a few brief times before Q’s muscles clamped down tight on the man’s prick. The rhythmic spasms almost painful in their force.

Q collapsed as James rode him down. The blonde’s hand trapped under the boy’s body. His hot release filling the condom wrapped around his cock inside the young man’s body. He shoved three more times, grunting deeply with each push. Q groaning in reply.

Bond rolled off the young man’s body and wiped his hand on the sheets. He removed the condom and tied it off. Dropping it over the side of the bed. He laid on his back and looked up at the ceiling in the dark.

Q laid next to him, panting. His eyes trying to focus without his glasses at the man beside him. Q brought his hand up and rested it on James’ sweaty chest.

“Come with me.” Q said softly.

“What?”

“Come with me . . . when I disappear. I want you there with me where ever I end up.”

James twisted in the sheets and tried to see the fine details of the man’s face.

“Why?”

Q blinked several times. “I want you too. I think we . . . How long can you keep going like this? How many more people are you going to kill before it kills you?”

James turned to roll out of bed, but Q grabbed his upper arm and pulled him back down.

“I’m sorry. I just thought . . . we are good together. You are a very good lover. I just wanted . . .”

James paused and looked at the young man’s down cast face. He reached over and pulled the young man closer, wrapping his arm around the man’s shoulders.

“We all want things we can’t have. We all have reasons for wanting more . . . but this is all I can give.”

Q nuzzled into the man’s throat. His lips resting over James’ pulse point.

“Then this will have to be enough.”

~Q~

The next morning, Q was sitting at the kitchen island, typing at his lap top. James was unpacking the sack of food he had ordered for breakfast. Q sipped the expensive tea James had fixed for him and smiled. The domesticity of the situation was surreal.

“So who do you trust the least at MI6?” Q asked setting the mug down.

“Eve Moneypenny.” James answered without hesitation.

“Why . . . because she shot you?”

“She follows orders without thinking about them. She’s to . . . marionette.” James pulled out one of the meals in a white paper box. He set it down and opened the lid to look at food. “In the field, things can change rapidly. You have to be prepared for those changes. You can’t blindly follow commands from someone thousands of miles away who can’t see what you are looking at. She trusts her intel too much to question what is happening around her. She thinks she’s infallible.”

“So you don’t trust her because she is too arrogant?” Q asked. A small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “That is funny coming from you.”

James looked up at the man through his blonde eyelashes. Whenever those brilliant blues eyes fixed themselves on Q, the young man felt a warmth move through his abdomen. Q smiled bigger.

“It’s not arrogance, it’s stupidity. You’ve got to know when your information is faulty and you need to improvise.”

“And not shoot the intended target but the man standing next to him.” Q almost whispered.

“Yes . . .” James pulled out another boxed breakfast. “Intel is great, but it can be flawed. She trust too much in data and not enough in what is right before her eyes.”

“Well, if you don’t trust your intel, then why do you trust the person giving it to you?”

“Boothroyd?” James smiled as he handed over one of the boxes to Q. The young man took it and looked down at the bagels and lox. “If you ever met him, you would understand. He is a cranky old bugger but I trust him with my life. So sometimes he gets the information wrong, it’s not malicious, it’s just a mistake. Things change and he can’t predict.”

“You need someone who can predict and keep you safe. You need someone who can evolve to the situation you’re in.” Q said as he picked up the bagel, examined the salmon on it.

“Exactly. Eve trusts the wrong people and other get hurt. She has poor judgement in who to believe.”

“But do you think she would be a traitor? Her instead of this Boothroyd?” Q asked before he took a bite of the food.

“I don’t think either one would be a traitor. Maybe Eve long before the Major. But no.”

Q listened as he chewed his bagel. James took a sip of coffee. “Now Mallory, definitely not. He doesn’t have the imagination to be a criminal.”

“Who gave you the information on me? Mallory or Boothroyd?”

“Neither, MI5 did. Specifically, Max Denbigh.”

Q swallowed the food in his mouth. The lump struggling to get down. “Maxwell Denbigh?”

“Yes, you know him?”

“Ah . . . we have a history.” James expression shifted to stern as Q tried to avoid his gaze. “Max and I knew each other at Cambridge.”

“Knew each other how? For how long?”

“He was three years ahead of me in school. We worked on projects together. We became . . . we . . . for a short time were lovers.” James felt a sudden desire to have a gun closer to him than in the other room. "Maxwell knew I was good. Very good at what I did with computers. He . . . he stole some of my original work. Claimed it was his . . . the ethics committee agreed with him. He had been at Cambridge longer, his father was a major contributor. I was a ‘nobody’. He got the acclaim, I was expelled.”

Q took a sip of his tea. He set the mug down before he dropped it.

“After I disappeared and became Q, his father’s company, a brokerage firm, was the first I maliciously hacked into . . . I released information and financial reports . . . A year later, the company was in receivership and Maxwell's father committed suicide.”

“Making him perfect for governmental service.” James said sarcastically.

“I didn’t keep up with him and his family after the father’s death. I haven’t heard his name in eight years.”

“He gave us the information about you. Do you think he knew you were responsible for his father’s company?”

“I don’t know how . . . I’m very good at covering my tracks.” Q said, relieved James was not going to doubt his loyalty towards him. “Could the order to kill me be more out of personal vendetta instead of the criminal syndicate?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time a MI6 operative was sent to settle a personal disagreement.” James said glaring at the counter.

If this had all been a personal attack by Denbigh against the hacker who had ruined his family eight years ago . . . Rome and the police . . . Alec’s disappearance . . . the threat of being killed by his own agency . . . Bond was going to ring the neck of the little bureaucrat himself.

Q’s computer binged and both men looked down at it. Q quickly started typing and then his eyebrows lifted into his fringe.

“What is it?” James asked.

“Alec . . . I’ve found him . . .”

James rushed around the island and stood at Q’s shoulder. He looked down at a grainy security camera photo of his friend. The blonde Russian was on a gurney being rolled into a building.

“Security camera outside the entrance for a hospital in Coventry. An unidentified male was admitted into hospital and is undergoing hand surgery.” Q tapped a few more keys and a report came up on the screen. “Doctor’s notes state the man was in an auto accident but has injuries consistent with . . . torture.”

Q looked up at James.

“Show me his photo again. When was it taken?”

“Two days ago. He was first in a hospital near North London but was transferred to Coventry. Why?”

“They are hiding him.” James pointed to a man walking beside the gurney with Alec on it. “That is Bill Tanner. My boss. He’s moved Alec to keep him safe. He knows what is going on.”

“Then we have an ally?”

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am reworking the story I've already got most of it done, but I'm off line for the next two weeks. Sorry. I'll try to get one more chapter up for the weekend, but don't be surprised if I don't make it.  
> Thank you for all the wonderful comments.


	11. Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanner decides there is a traitor in MI6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Just returned from holiday in Austria. Beautiful country. But honestly, avoid Denver International Airport when traveling if you don't want to pull your hair out. Wrote this chapter in a hurry. If there are any mistakes, (which I am certain there are) please let me know.

Bill Tanner looked through the reports on Bond. Once again, Bond had infuriated the Chief of Staff and disappeared from the hotel in Salzburg before he could let him know Trevelyan was alive. The bloody agent could fall off the map quicker than anyone Bill had ever met. Right now Tanner needed Bond in London. He needed the man at MI6 to help root out the possible traitor.

Bill thought back on the conversation he had with Alec before his surgery. 006 said the Italian authorities were waiting for Bond. They knew in advance of the assassination. There had been six people aware of the mission. Because it was considered a low risk mission, Bond was not being followed by TSS surveillance. Removing Bond and himself from the list, Bill was left with four. Mallory, Denbigh, Boothroyd and Eve Moneypenny.

Although, he questioned Mallory’s procedures, his loyalty to England was unquestionable. Mallory was devoted the Queen and Country as much as Tanner was. Only Daniella Marsh of TSS was more loyal than the two men. Tanner doubted she even knew where the assassination was supposed to be; she was always more focused on the weapon used instead of the victim or the country.

Max Denbigh, on the other hand, was someone Tanner did not and would not ever trust. Tanner flipped through the report on the undersecretary. He was a Cambridge graduate with great potential until a personal family scandal left him without a future in the business world. Only a career in civil service was open to him. He would the perfect candidate to turn on his country. Disillusioned and dishonored.

Tanner didn’t doubt that Denbigh had released the information about the mission to Barres and the Carabinieri. But why? What would be Denbigh’s motive for betraying Bond and MI6? Would Denbigh sincerely want to compromise a mission to embarrass MI6? Tanner leaned back in his seat. He didn’t doubt it. Tanner rubbed his hand over his eyes. He was familiar with interdepartmental battles. He just had never seen one that led to deaths.

Tanner pulled the various files together. He picked them up and tapped their edge on the wooden desk top. He sighed wearily as he stood. Stepping out of his office, he looked over to see Eve Moneypenny typing at her computer. Her chocolate brown eyes scanning over the note pad as she typed. He regarded her for a moment. The other person who could have divulge the information about Bond. Tanner knew that the two had never truly settled their differences over the incident in Istanbul. Tanner wondered if there could be two traitors instead of one. What would it take for Eve to betray MI6? To betray Bond?

“Eve, do we have any further information on the men found dead at the hacker’s flat in Rome?” Tanner asked as he stood over her desk.

“No, just that they were members of Gasparri.” Eve said looking up at the Chief of Staff. “Any word from Bond?”

His glance shifted from the papers in his hand to the woman. “No, he is still MIA.”

“Strange . . . I would have thought after 006 was killed he would have returned to London. I guess he wasn’t as loyal to his friends as he made them think.”

“Bond is extremely loyal. He may not know yet of Alec’s death.” Tanner had chosen to keep the news about Alec just between Malory and himself. “I will be in with M for the rest of the morning. Do not disturb us unless it is a priority one alert.”

“Yes, sir.” She smiled and tossed her dark curls off her forehead. Her fingers returned to the key board, typing rapidly as her eyes returned to the notebook.

Tanner stood still watching her for a moment. He wondered. Tanner went into M’s office, closing the door behind him. He had much to talk about with his boss.

Max Denbigh stood at the window of his office at Cox & Kings as he looked up the river at the beige and green monstrosity that was Vauxhall One, MI6. The Irishman growled. The damn agency was ruining his plans.

~Q~

Max Denbigh had worked hard to be where he was now. In a position to control events not only within England but across the world. It had been a climb from the humiliation of his father’s failures and death to become the man he was now. He had struggled with petty bureaucrats and narrow minded politicians to finally place himself as the undersecretary within MI5. Now, he had power. Now, he could start to manipulate the simpletons and move England to the brink. Return the favor back to the government who had betrayed his family.

Well, he could if it wasn’t for that bastard who was piecing together separate incidences to see the larger picture of economic manipulation. With the crashes in Spain and Greece, the influx of refugees from the east and the failures of the American foreign policies, the EU was ready to be taken over. Just like Russia was after the collapse of Communism. Without secure governments, the criminal elements could have full run. But this time it wouldn’t be just one country, it would be an entire continent. All of Europe would be open to anarchy. Just as Bratva had operated in Russia for years without interference, soon Gasparri and the various criminal organizations throughout Europe would establish themselves as the new masters of the continent. And he would be their master.

With such a large uncontested syndicate, they could quickly start dictating actions in other countries. Soon a worldwide criminal subculture. Accepted and influential over the governments of the world. There wouldn’t be world domination but world reinvention. And Denbigh would be in the perfect position. Both law keeper and paid representative of the syndicate. Both police man and criminal. He would be the spider sitting in the web, pulling the strings on the others.

Everything he wanted was now being threatened by this Q and his agent. Denbigh opened the file and read through the report from Rome. It was supposed to be the perfect solution to two different problems. Kill the hacker who had started piecing together the plan and embarrass MI6 by having their operative caught in the act of murdering someone on foreign soil. But the damn spy shot the wrong man, then escaped with the hacker.

Gasparri had contracted Denbigh within an hour of the mix up. They wanted Denbigh to eliminate the two men but Denbigh had no idea where to search. Denbigh had to kidnap and torture a MI6 operative. Trevelyan, 006, had withstood interrogation and provided a false lead with Serbia before he escaped. They had followed him to the canal and then lost all trace of the man. He was badly injured and naked. He couldn’t have gotten far.

Denbigh knew the report of 006 death in a car accident was a cover. He wondered what MI6 was hiding. Did Trevelyan survive the drowning and was still alive. Did Trevelyan recover enough to inform MI6 what had happened? Why hadn’t his own spy found out what had happened. It was becoming apparent it had been money poorly spent. She was just another lose thread he needed to snip away.

His contract within MI6 had failed him. He had paid the young woman a hundred thousand pounds. Denbigh was beginning to wonder why. He, himself, had gotten the information about the assassination attempt. He had arranged with the Carabinieri to arrest Bond with the murder weapon in his hand. Also he had warned Gasparri of the attempt. Barres knew he would be standing beside the man when the hacker was shot. His contact had not assisted in any way with betraying the mission. Then after Bond fled, the woman had been unable to supply Denbigh with any information about Bond and the hacker. The two men had disappeared and no one was able to find them. Denbigh growled. The hundred thousand pounds had been wasted on the person.

Denbigh sat down and looked through what information MI5 had obtained about the man ‘Q’. Max had padded the initial reports of Q’s activities to make it look like he was a threat to England. Adding separate attacks to the security of Great Britain to Q’s list of crimes. The most recent intrusions had been carried out from Rome. It had taken months of back tracking and searching to discover that much about the man. Then Denbigh noticed a notation on one page from a tech.

_“Intrusions into NSA systems originated in Salzburg, Austria.”_

Denbigh thought back to something Trevelyan had said. “Aust . . . Austr . . . Australia . . . Serbia . . . Japan . . . Scotland.” Did Trevelyan give it away, only to cover it up? Austria? He removed his Blackberry from his pocket and started typing. The message would be encrypted and sent to a secured server. It would be transcribed and read by a very influential man in Vienna. He would be able to check Salzburg for one Benjamin White.

~Q~

M and Tanner sat in the office alone. Tanner reported to M about interviewing Alec.

“A traitor? Is 006 sure?” M asked raising an eyebrow.

“I checked, Carabinieri were there. They had received a tip of a possible terrorist attack from the church.” Tanner said. He leaned forward in his chair. “Those two men who Bond shot in the carpark . . . they were Gasparri. They knew where to find the hacker’s lair.”

“Why would Denbigh want to compromise the mission. He was the one who wanted the hacker assassinated. Are you certain he was the one who told Gasparri and the police?” M asked.

“Not certain but it was a definite possiblity, but why would he jeopardize the assassination of this Q? Maybe he believed Bond would follow through regardless of the circumstances. That Bond would kill the hacker then be caught with the murder weapon by the Carabinieri. It would be a major diplomatic smear against MI6 and MI5 would be kept clean and pristine.”

“I knew he was a fucking little bastard. I didn’t know he was a backstabbing fucking little bastard.” M growled.

“006 and Bond both agreed with Q that there is a traitor. I don’t think Denbigh is working alone.”

“You think there may be someone with MI6 helping him?” M asked. The man leaned forward in his chair.

Tanner shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was placing his own neck in the hangman’s loose if he was wrong. Accusing fellow members of MI6 of being traitors was always a last possible solution. If Tanner was wrong, he would be the one thrown out if not shot.

“Yes.” Tanner nodded.

“Who then. . . And why? What benefit would someone have for helping MI5 and Denbigh?” M agreed with Tanner too quickly for the chief of staff to not notice his willingness to accept the possibility.

“I’m not sure why, but they would have to be someone with access to every portion of MI6.”

“An executive.” M said fearing the implications.

“Or someone on an executive’s staff.” Tanner suggested.

“Do you have an idea?”

“Yes, sir . . . but you are not going to like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry about the delay. Next chapter will be up very soon. And Spectre in two weeks. Yea!!!!


	12. Eve's Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bond confronts Moneypenny.

Eve Moneypenny walked up the stairs to her flat. She was exhausted. The last six days had been absolutely hell. First Bond goes off mission and runs away with his mark. Then Trevelyan is killed. MI6 had been locked down after Tanner reported the death. Tanner had been in private meetings with Mallory that she was not allowed to be in on. Now, every person working within MI6 was having their records sifted through. As if Tanner and M were looking for something incriminating. She had to stop four department heads from charging into M’s office and demanding either an explanation or an apology.

Eve didn’t know what had happened but she was certain Bond was to blame for it.

She just wanted to get into her flat and soak in a hot tub with a glass of red wine. Forget the last few days and plan out revenge against a certain double ‘O’ agent. She had slipped her key into the lock on her door when she heard a familiar voice speak her name.

“Good evening, Moneypenny.”

It could only be that dark purring voice of Bond. She turned quickly to the side and saw the man himself, leaning against a door further down the hall.

“Bond! How did . . . where have you been!?” Her voice breathy with confusion. She took a step forward expecting him to bolt down the hall. Her hand slipping quickly into the large purse hanging from her shoulder. He just smiled.

She felt the jab in her back. Something sharp and painful. Then, something hard, like a two by four being slammed into her back. Suddenly ever muscle in her body seized and she fell to the floor in a spasm. Rolling over she saw the dark haired man holding the Taser as the roaring in her ears became unbearable. Her eyelids fluttered then closed.

James quickly pulled his Walther out from behind his back and pointed it at Q. The young man was still watching Eve twitch from the electro shock of the weapon in his hand.

“Put the Taser down now, Q.” Bond said calmly as he pointed the gun at the boy.

Q looked up and frowned.

“She was reaching for a gun.” Q said, as he looked at the muzzle of the gun pointed at him.

“I said put the weapon down.” James’ face was emotionless. His eyes fixed on the young man.

“I thought . . . I wouldn’t shoot you. Don’t you trust me?”

“No, I don’t and no, you won’t shoot me.” Bond said with determination. “Put the Taser down.”

Q dropped the weapon as a sharp pain of regret filled him. James bent down and picked up the weapon, never taking his eyes off Q. James carefully looked the small Taser.

“This is mine . . .”

“Yes, I found it in kitchen this morning. When we were eating breakfast.” Q said looking confused as James kept his gun pointed at the young man. He slipped the Taser into the holster at the back of his belt.

“Were you going to use it on me?” James asked coldly.

“No, never! . . . She was going to shoot you . . . I was just . . . helping you.”

“I don’t need your help. Don’t pick another weapon up or I will kill you.”

Q’s eyes burned with tears. “You still don’t trust me?”

“No.” He slipped the small handgun into his pocket. “Help me with her.”

Together the two men picked up the unconscious woman. The hand gun slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor. James didn’t acknowledged it. They carried her into her flat, then James retrieved the gun.

~Q~

Eve woke up with a headache as every muscle in her body complained. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was laying on her bright yellow sofa. She blinked her eyes opened to see James Bond sitting in the chair opposite her. She twisted her head so she could look at him right side up, then groaned.

“Why am I tied up?”

“For safety reasons.” James said.

Eve could hear typing. She looked over and the young dark haired man from before was sitting at her dining room table typing away at a laptop.

“Isn’t that the man you were supposed to kill?” She asked.

“Still planning on killing.” James said softly. She turned back to look at him.

“Well, then untie me and I’ll help you.”

“I may need to kill you too.”

Eve’s eyes grew wide with surprise. She twisted her body and sat up on the sofa. Her dark brown legs rested over the edge of the yellow fabric.

“Why, what have I done to merit your special attention?” She tried to sound indifferent but fear was tainting her words. “You can’t possibly still be upset about me shooting you?”

She heard the typing stop and she saw the stranger watching the two of them.

“She actually shot you?” the boy asked. “I thought it was a joke between you and Alec.”

“Yes. Shot me right off a moving train and over a bridge.” The blonde man smiled.

“Is it routine for MI6 agents to shoot one another?” Q asked.

“Operatives. We are operatives. And no . . . it is highly recommended not to kill the people you work with.” James turned to look at Q. “What have you found?”

Q looked back at the laptop he was working on.

“A fixation with Chiwetel Ejiofor. A frightening large amount of dance videos and a bank account in the Grand Caymans.” Q looked over at Eve.

The woman’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. She struggled to stand while her hands were tied.

“THAT’S MY COMPUTER! GET OFF! . . . HOW DID YOU . . . GET OFF IT!” She shouted.

James smiled and shoved her backwards and back down onto the couch.

“A bank account in the Grand Caymans?” James said as he watched the woman bounce awkwardly on the sofa.

“Yes, it doesn’t list whose account it is only the fact Miss Moneypenny has been checking the balance two days ago.” Q said as he kept typing. “There is also a search for . . .” A few more key strokes. “A search for beach front properties in non-extradition countries.” He looked up at Eve.

The woman’s eyes were wide and blazed with anger.

“Moneypenny, you need to explain to me about this bank account.” James said smiling at her.

“There’s no bank account. The little bastard in lying to you.”

James smiled.

“Q . . . oh by the way, this is Q.” He waved his hand towards the younger man.

“Hello.” Q waved to Eve.

“Q is very good at what he does. One of the best I’ve ever seen.” Q glanced up at the older man while he kept typing. “Even if you have erased your browser history, he can still locate every spot that computer has searched unless you’ve replaced the hard drive. Have you replaced the hard drive, Moneypenny?” The woman glared at him. “Now, explain about the money.”

“I don’t have to explain shite to you.” Eve snapped back. “It has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh, really? There is a traitor within MI6 and I believe we have found her.”

“I’m not a traitor!” she hissed at him.

“Don’t try that.” Q said. “I’ve been telling him that for days now and all it gets me is a promise of a bullet.”

She glanced over at the young man then back at James.

“There’s an account. Money I’ve hidden away from Inland Revenue. That’s all.”

“You are going to try and convince me it is a tax dodge? My mission was compromised, Moneypenny.” James said pointedly. “It was blown before I even showed up.”

“I don’t know anything about that! All I know is you were supposed to kill that man and you didn’t.” She cocked her head to side and glared at Bond. “Losing your nerve, James. Falling for a pretty face. Too much alcohol to keep from shaking while pulling the trigger.”

He raised his gun.

“Shall we see?”

Eve leaned back into the sofa trying to make herself look small. She ducked her head and looked away from the killer’s glare.

“Who gave you the money?” Bond asked.

“I saved it.” She answered him.

“Okay, Eve, let me explain to you so you understand the situation you are in. You are going to die. Regardless of what you say to me, you are going to die. Now it may be right here and now, in this very room, or . . . it can be years from now, after the trials and the appeals and the months of waiting for briefs to be filed. Waiting before you are convicted of treason to the crown and then shot in a dark basement on a military base. I don’t care myself, but I think you would.” Bond paused for a moment for Eve to understand what he was saying. “Q has found enough on your private computer to make sure you will never see the light of day again.”

“There is nothing on that computer. And you can prove the bank account has anything to do with treason.”

“There was nothing on that computer before Q got hold of it, but now . . . he has had plenty of time to leave incriminating evidence of your treason.” He twisted in his chair to look at Q. “Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, I’ve just downloaded top secret reports from MI6 onto it. Reports that shouldn’t be accessed outside of the building. I’ve back dated six separated incursions into the MI6 system too.”

Eve turned and looked at the young man.

“You bastard!”

“Now, Moneypenny, is that anyway for a lady to talk.” James said bring her attention back to her. “Where did the money come from? Tell me and the geek will clean up your computer. Don’t and I will shoot you and show the computer to Tanner as evidence of your involvement.”

“He’ll never believe you!” She ranted.

“He’ll believe his eyes.”

Q closed the computer. “Done.” He said as he took out a handkerchief and started wiping down the keys.

“The young man is good. Very good . . . and at so many things.” James said with a smirk on his face.

Eve let her gaze move back and forth between the two men.

“Oh, I see. James Bond has found himself a little rent boy.” She hissed.

“Well . . . I can tell you he is worth a repeat appearance unlike someone from Macau.”

James was glad he tied the woman’s hands. If he hadn’t she would have leaped off the sofa and scratched his eyes out. He watched as she tried to lunge at him. He laughed as she struggled, falling off the couch and onto her knees.

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

She pushed herself back up onto the couch and leaned back.

“Tanner won’t believe you!” She barked. “He’ll see this for what it is. It doesn’t matter what you say. You’re a disgraced operative who went off mission with a boy toy. I’m the respected secretary of the head of MI6. No one will believe you!”

“Then tell me the truth. Tell me how you came by three hundred thousand pounds.” James leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Why not? . . . Neither one of you will be able to tell anyone . . . there is a capture/kill order out on you. And the slut over there still has an assassination order out on him.” She sneered at him. “Yeah, there’s three hundred thousand pounds waiting for me in Georgetown. But it wasn’t for treason. My parents left it to me. My parents and an aunt. An inheritance.”

“You expect me to believe that? What about Denbigh?”

“Denbigh?”

“Maxwell Denbigh . . . from MI5?”

She looked back and forth between the two men. James could read her face and knew she was weighing her options.

“He wants to be the new head of MI6. Mallory has been ineffective and Denbigh will be taking over. He’s asked for my assistance. But he hasn’t bribed me.”

Bond leaned back into his chair.

“You did that before . . . jump ships and hook your wagon to a new star . . . you abandoned M for Mallory and now you are going to dump Mallory for Denbigh?”

“Yes, their gone and I’m still here.” She hissed at him. “I’ll be here long after you’re gone and forgotten.”

“I don’t think so.” James watched Eve carefully. Q stood and moved to stand behind James. “Tanner, did you get that?” James shouted out.

Eve’s eyes became wide as she looked back and forth between the two men. Then from her periphery, she saw someone step around the corner from the hallway. Tanner was standing there with a deep frown on his face. His brow knitted and the corners of his mouth turned down.

“Bill! You can’t believe . . .”

“I can’t believe my eyes or my ears? Eve . . . why?” Tanner asked. His voice lined with bitterness.

“I’m not a traitor! I’m just helping the next head of MI6!” She pleaded.

“No you are not.” Tanner pulled his mobile from his pocket and pressed in a number. “Yes, she admitted to it, sir . . . yes, sir. I will . . . We will be there in half an hour.” He disconnected the call and looked up at the woman one more time. “Anderson will be waiting for you interrogation.”

“Tanner, Bond framed me! His boy put those things on my computer!”

Q stepped around James to stand beside him instead of hidden behind him.

“Miss Moneypenny, I am surprised MI6 would employ someone so naïve on computer issues. You can’t back date incursions. I did nothing to your computer. It was just a ploy to trick you in telling the truth.” Q said softly.

There was a knock on the door. Tanner walked over to the door and answered it. Two men in black suits were waiting outside the door. Tanner nodded to them and led them over to Eve. They grasped her elbows and lifted her off the sofa. The two men guided the frightened woman towards the door. Tanner followed them as James stood up and reached for Q. He wrapped his hand around Q’s upper arm and pulled the young man to follow Tanner. Q tried to pull out of James’ grasp.

“James?”

“This doesn’t prove your innocence yet.” James said softly to Q.

“But we found your traitor. You said . . .”

“Yes, but you are still involved. You haven’t proved to me you aren’t in collusion with the Gasparri, yet.”

The group reached the lobby of Eve’s building. Outside the door, they could see the black sedan waiting to take Eve away.

“So let me get this,” Q started to say. “She shoots you and you sleep with her in Macau. I sleep with you, and you try to kill me in Rome.”

“I didn’t try to kill you . . . you’re still alive.”

“But I think I should get the same benefit of the doubt you gave her.”

The men holding Eve opened the glass door and pulled her out onto the pavement. Tanner was just walking through the door, holding it for James and Q. Suddenly, Eve groaned and collapsed forward. Tanner twisted and fell into Q, pulling Q down with him.

James spun and looked up at Eve. Blood covered her blouse. The two men holding her tried to pull the dead woman back into the building. James grabbed Q’s shoulders and pulled the young man back into the safety of the lobby. Tanner was dragged along with Q’s body.

“ARE YOU HURT?!” James shouted at Q.

“NO. TANNER?”

“I’m fine, just . . .” He looked down at his bleeding arm. “A . . . graze . . . flesh wound! Eve?!”

“Dead.” James said as he rushed from the building. Gun drawn already.

He ran out and crouched behind the black sedan and looked over the boot. He tried to see where the sniper had to be sitting. He scanned the roof tops and any open windows. He looked for anyone running or not running and watching the front of the building. When he heard the sound of sirens approaching, James slowly stood up. Making himself a target. Nothing. The shooter was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wonderful comments. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, but things are not always as they seem.


	13. Shifting Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory finally meets Q.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments. They are very encouraging. I know no one was expecting Eve to get shot, but I like to make things unpredictable. I also want to thank Mulder200 who has become my unofficial beta. It helps having someone catch my mistakes.

Bond was crouching behind the black sedan scanning the rooftops around the building. He didn’t see anyone. No one walking away. No flash from a scope reflecting sunlight. Nothing.

He slowly stood, waiting for another gun shot. None came. He stepped backwards from the car and back into the lobby of the building.

Eve Moneypenny was dead on the floor. A single gunshot wound to her chest. The two men who were escorting her out were standing over her dead body, their guns drawn and at the ready. Blood spattered across their white shirts. James looked over and Q was kneeling next to Tanner. The Chief of Staff’s arm was bloody and Q had his hand clasping a handkerchief to the wound. He could feel the tight grip around his chest weaken as Q glanced over at him. The young man’s hazel eyes bright and responsive. James stepped up and looked down at Tanner.

“Are you all right?”

“A simple graze. The shooter?”

“Gone.” James looked down and gave the young hacker a cursory look to check to make sure he was unharmed. “One shot . . . the round fragmented and you were hit by one that passed through.”

“I didn’t hear a gunshot.” Q said.

“The shooter was using a suppressor on the barrel. No flash and very little sound.” James said.

“Then he could have been anywhere, from sixty feet to hundred meters.” Tanner hissed and he twisted to sit up straighter.

“Not with that type of ammunition and within the city. Given the angle, he was across the street on top of one of the buildings.”

Q turned to look up and out of the tinted windows of the building. “Is he still there?”

“I doubt it. He would have kept firing if he was.” James said as he squatted down on his heels. “Tanner, you know what this means?”

“He knew we were going to arrest her. He was waiting to kill her.” Tanner said looking up at the operative.

“What do you want me to do?” James asked.

“We will go back to MI6 and regroup. This is not some low value mark we are after. This is a member . . . a respected member of the British government.”

James nodded and stood up. He held out his hand to Tanner and with Q’s help the man stood up.

~Q~

Denbigh disconnected the phone from the caller. It was done. Eve Moneypenny was dead. He smiled. It was a shame he had to have her killed. She really wasn’t that important to his plan but when his spy had notified him that Tanner was planning on arresting her, it seemed like an opportune time to direct everyone’s attention away from his real mole inside MI6 and onto the patsy he had within M’s office.

Denbigh had used his charisma to convince Moneypenny, he would be the next head of MI6. The woman quickly jumped at the opportunity to help him. She was quick to believe he would further her career by being his political eyes and ears within the department. Shame she really was only a distraction to the real traitor.

~Q~

Q sat on the coach as James paced around Tanner’s office. They had been alone, in the office for the last twenty minutes. They had been brought here after leaving Eve’s flat, while she was in the morgue in the basement. Tanner was meeting privately with Mallory. Guards now hovered around the executive offices. Men dressed in black combat gear, holding SA80’s at shoulder rest.

“You told her you were going to shoot me.” Q said very softly.

James turned and looked at the young man.

“I just said it to throw her. I told you, if you prove your innocence, you will go free.”

“And if I can’t prove my innocence? . . . Are you going to kill me? . . . Are you going to shoot me like she was?”

James narrowed his eyes at Q.

“If you can’t prove your innocence? So you are involved?”

“Fuck you, Bond! I’m a hacker! How could I be innocent? I’m guilty to one degree or another. Just like you!” Q stood and started pacing the office. “How can you be so detached? A woman was killed right in front of us!”

“A woman that ten minutes earlier I threaten to kill. A woman who shot me off a bridge two years ago. Not someone I believe I will miss much sleep over.”

“You’re a bastard, Bond.” Q turned away from the man and looked out the window of the office.

“And last night, you asked me to go away with you.” James smirked at the man.

Q didn’t answer him. He kept himself turned away. James stood silently watching Q. The gentle sag in the young man’s body. The slight tremor in his frame. Q was scared. Regardless of his bravado, the young man was in fear of his life.

“I read the report you were given. It was incorrect.” Q’s voice sounded brittle.

“What do you mean?”

“I found the report when I was going through Eve’s computer. The report Maxwell gave you. He lied to you. I didn’t do half the things in the report. Not saying I haven’t done things . . . bad things, I just . . . never did those things. I never worked with Gasparri . . . I didn’t help them against England.”

James thought for a moment about what Q had said.

“The things listed in the report . . . who do you think was responsible?”

Q turned to look at James.

“I don’t know. There has been someone in the back manipulating things. Compromising governments through economics. Releasing sensitive documents. Someone is pulling strings, but it is not me.”

“You did release the information about the FSB agents?”

“Yes, but . . . not the information about drug busts or . . . MI6 missions.”

“So who?”

“Why don’t you ask who supplied you with the report.” Q said finally looking James in the eye. The blonde returned the stare, realizing he had failed to question the information.

Tanner came into the office and waved the two men to follow him. Q looked hesitantly at James, then followed Tanner into Mallory’s office. James paused for a moment at Eve’s desk. It looked like she had just finished up for the day. Her note pad neatly set aside with a pen resting on top of it. A small framed photo of Eve with another woman. The two women smiling out at the camera with drinks in their hands. James picked up the photo and studied the faces. The other woman looked like she could be Eve’s sister. Same bone structure and curve to the eyes. He set the frame back on the desk, face down.

Stepping into the office, James could see Q was already sitting in one of the leather wingchairs in front of Mallory’s desk. The young hacker looked concerned and wary. Tanner stood off the side of Mallory. His suit jacket abandoned in Medical. His white shirt stained with blood as his right arm was wrapped in a blue bandage and hanging limply in a sling.

“Well, this is the elusive Q?” Mallory said looking over at the young man.

James sat down beside Q in the opposite chair.

“Sir,” Q said looking Mallory straight in the face.

“So tell me why I’m not going to put in prison for the rest of your life?”

Q blinked and then turned to look at James. “You said if I helped find the traitor you’d let me go. You promised.”

“Bond’s promises are irrelevant to me.” Mallory growled. “You are known hacker and thief. You have caused millions of euro’s worth of damage. You are a threat to the nation . . .”

“Sir, if I may . . . according to whom? A man suspected of being a traitor? Denbigh’s information about Q and his role with the Gasparri Crime syndicate was inaccurate. Denbigh lied to us, and I believe he is deeply involved with Gasparri instead of Q.” Bond said from his chair. Q quickly turned to look at James. Mallory shifted his glance to the blonde.

“You made this decision before you arrived at the Forum?”

“No . . . I never fully trusted the man, but after I arrived and saw the trap. After I realized Barres knew I was supposed to be in the church instead of the hippodrome. That Barres was willing to kill Q if I didn’t . . . that’s when I made the decision to doubt the intel. That’s when I questioned Denbigh’s credibility.”

Mallory leaned back in his chair and sat quietly for a moment. He was considering what Bond had said.

“Tanner, what did Eve say . . . before she was shot?”

“She said she was helping Denbigh to take over MI6 from you, but that he never had paid her.”

“What about the money?”

“She claimed it was an inheritance she was hiding from Inland Revenue.” Tanner said.

“Did she know she was complicit with a possible traitor?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“Then she could have been deceived by Denbigh as we were?” Mallory asked the room in general. The men remained silent but it was obvious they all agreed. “We need to know exactly how deep Eve was involved with Denbigh.”

“But how, she was killed. The bank won’t release information regarding the account.” Tanner said.

“I can find out that information.” Q said softly. The three men turned their attention to the hacker. “I can trace the route the money took to get to the account. And if you supply me with the original report from Maxwell . . . from Denbigh, I will be honest with you and tell you what I am actually responsible for and what I’m being falsely accused of. If I can find a pattern, maybe . . . maybe I can tell you who is responsible.”

Mallory’s brow knitted. “It is not the practice of MI6 to allow known terrorist access to incriminating evidence against them.”

Q held Mallory’s glare. Tanner shifted beside the director.

“Sir, if we let . . . I mean . . . it would be faster to allow the man to use his skills to weed out the information from bank records, than to wait and see what TSS can do with it. And besides, if Eve was not the traitor, which means . . .”

“Which means . . . there is still a leak within the agency and we are still at risk. We actually have no incriminating evidence against Denbigh. He can claim the report’s errors were someone else’s’ fault and not deliberate misinformation. Without Eve, we have nothing tangible against him.” Mallory growled. “Very well, Bond you are to stay with this . . .” Mallory waved his hand in Q’s direction. “With Q as he supplies us with information. Tanner you will verify what he gives us. If there is any question as to Q’s behavior, the hacking will be terminated immediately.”

Q blinked. It was evident by M’s attitude, the term ‘terminated’ referred to Q and not his hacking.

~Q~

Q sat in the office with three separate computer screens in front of him. His eyes traveled between the flickering images and lines of code. A mug of cold tea sat on the desk top next to the keyboard he was using. Long since forgotten by the young computer geek.

James sat in a chair off to the side. He was reading through a report on sniper. He appeared to be engrossed in the report but his attention kept slipping up to the young man. James felt as if his world had shifted slightly off beam. The trained assassin was used to being close to death. Used to seeing people die. Used to the sound of gunfire and the smell of blood. Suddenly, though, the thought of Q being injured . . . harmed . . . made his insides crawl. He was having difficulty concentrating on the report as the image of Q laying on the floor, blooded and dead, instead of Eve, came to mind. It was irrational. He knew it. Q was alive and sitting right in front of him, but the evidence of his own eyes was not enough to prevent the fear starting to root inside him.

James glanced up and saw Q had quit typing and was just staring at the screens. The young man’s face was still but James could see the hazel eyes shift as the boy read the information.

“Did you find something?” James’ voice seemed unnaturally loud after hours of silence in the small office.

Q jumped at the interruption. For the moment he was lost within his codes and cyberspace, forgetting the presence of the killer. Q’s eyes darted over to James’ brilliant blue gaze. Should he tell him? Should he lie? Should he tell Bond, Eve was a traitor? Would Bond finally decide it was time for Q to be killed?

“She was . . .” Q’s voice broke as his throat dried up. He grabbed the mug of cold tea and took a drink. He frowned at the bitter liquid. “Eve was telling the truth. I traced the money to a real estate escrow account in south Florida. Apparently, her mother and aunt had a home there. Eve sold it to a developer from New York. She didn’t report the sale to the American Internal Revenue Service or Inland Revenue. She was hiding the money.”

James stood up and moved over to look at the computer screens over Q’s shoulder. The young man turned his head to follow the James’ movements.

“So why was she killed?” James asked, more to himself than to Q. “Did she know something?”

Q shivered as James rested his hand on the young man’s shoulder. The blonde glanced at him. They were very close. Q could feel James’ warm breath across his forehead. He blinked and tried to move away. Reaching for a file on the desk, he handed the papers to Bond.

“This is the report, Maxwell gave you. . . . I’ve highlighted the things I am responsible for . . . the others listed in there, someone else did. Not me.”

Q bowed his head as James took the folder and stood up straight. He didn’t back away from Q, but remained within his personal space, towering over the young man. James flipped through the pages and looked at all the yellow marked lines.

“All this?”

“Yes.”

“The release of NSA reports.”

“Only the ones dealing with surveillance within the United States.”

“And the FSB?”

“I told you they were involved with human trafficking.” Q finally looked up into James’ face.

James paused in his interrogation, studying the young man’s expression. He slowly closed the file. He could see Q was starting to shake slightly.

“There are numerous economic intrusion. Can you find out who is responsible for these other hacks?”

Q remained quiet for a moment as he tried to understand what James had just said. There was no threat to kill him. No promise of death, but also no promise of salvation.

“Given time . . . yes.”

James nodded.

“I’ll inform Tanner. It is late. We should start fresh in the morning. We will need to keep looking for the mole within the agency and you will find out who is actually to blame for these hacks. Then maybe we can contain and eliminate Denbigh.”

“In the morning?”

“Yes.”

Q had been given another reprieve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments welcomed and enjoyed. I hope to have this story finished before Spectre comes out in the States next week. And Alec will make a reappearance next chapter. I love writing Alec. He is fun.


	14. Conversation with a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec returns to London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a complete idiot. I forgot Boothroyd was dead and brought him back into the story. Oops. That's what I get for writing a story while planning a holiday over seas. I think I've corrected the pervious chapters and written him out. Sorry about any confusion.

The drive from Vauxhall back to the townhouse in Kensington was silent, but Q’s anxiety hung heavy between the two men. Also, James was not able to answer his own questions about his evolving feelings for the young man. So the two sat quietly as James drove his car through the late night streets of the city.

James unlocked the front door of the townhouse and heard the familiar woman’s voice.

“System on stay.”

James pulled his Walther from its holster as quickly shoved Q behind him. James typed in the cancelation code on the keypad.

“What’s wrong?” Q whispered behind him.

“Someone is here.” James wrapped his hand around Q’s wrist and pulled the young man tight to his back.

They took hesitant steps towards the kitchen where a single light was on. Just as James reached the arched doorway a familiar voice called out.

“Don’t fucking shoot me now! I just got out of hospital.”

James rushed forward around the corner of the door, to see Alec sprawled across the couch in the sitting area. His head resting on the arm of the couch his right arm covering his eyes. He shifted and tried to sit up.

“You bloody wanker! I should shoot you for making me worry about you!” James shouted with joy.      

James let go of Q’s wrist and rushed forward to his friend. Alec was paler than Q remembered him being. Dark circles lined his eyes and his face seemed thinned. He worn lose fitting pajama bottoms and no shirt. His left arm was wrapped tightly in a white bandaged and strapped tight against his chest by a blue sling.

James reached his friend and leaned over the reclining man. They rested their foreheads on each other, sharing a breath.

“Брат, не напугать меня подобное снова.” James whispered. (Brother, don’t scare me like that again.)

Alec closed his eyes and smiled. He leaned up and briefly smeared his lips across James’. Bond stood up and looked down at his friend. Both men smiled broadly.

“I see you’re still have your pet.” Alec said. James twisted to see Q still standing just inside the kitchen.

“He has his purposes.” He turned back and looked at Alec. “How’s the hand?”

“Hurt’s like hell.” Alec picked up a bottle of pain pills and rattled it. “But with these and some vodka, I’ll live.” The two men laughed softly.

Q took a hesitant step forward. “James . . . I’ll just go up to bed.”

Bond turned to see Q looking around the room, trying to focus on anything but the two blondes.

“Okay, I’ll be up to bed later.”

Q finally looked up at the man.

“Ah . . . I noticed you have a guest room. I mean . . . I saw an extra room with a bed in it.”

“There’s a bed, but we just store things in there. It’s not a guest room. The bed’s not even made.”

“If you don’t mind . . . I would prefer to sleep there.” Q’s voice became a little bolder. Bond narrowed his eyes at the young man. He felt an unexplained stab just under his ribs. “If you want, you can lock me in. Just . . . just let me out to use the bathroom when I shout, please.”

“I won’t lock you in. There are spare sheets in the cupboard at the top of the stairs. You should find a pillow in there too. Don’t touch the boxes.”

“Yes, right . . . absolutely.” Q turned on his heels and fled the room.

James turned back his reclining friend.

“So where has he been sleeping?” Alec asked.

James ignored Alec’s question and turned to go to the kitchen. He took down two glasses and grab a bottle of single malt. Returning to the sitting area, he slipped down on to the floor beside Alec, leaning his back against the sofa. He poured the two glasses with the scotch and handed one to Alec.

“I said vodka, and don’t think you are going to avoid the question.”

“You’ll drink too much if it’s vodka and you know damn well where he’s been sleeping. You knew in Siena. Now, tell me about who did this?”

Alec took as sip of the golden brown liquor and hissed at the burn.

“There were three of them. Two interrogators and one bastard with a lead pipe. They wanted to know about you and Q. Where you were? What the two of you were doing? Why you didn’t shoot him?” James nodded as Alec talked.

“Accents?”

“One was posh English. Nasally. The other was softer . . . maybe Irish.”

“They give you any information as to why they were interested in Q?”

“No, but they knew you were supposed to have killed him and you didn’t. They had working knowledge of MI6 operations.” Alec took another sip. “So why did you spare the little boffin?”

James lit a cigarette and took a long drag.

“Eve is dead.”

Alec shifted and tried to sit up, hissing as his arm ached.

“WHAT!? WHEN!?”

“Today. Tanner was bring her in for questioning. She seemed like a good candidate for the traitor. As they were stepping out of her building, a sniper was waiting for them. Single shot. Tanner was injured. Not bad.” James took a deep drink.

“Were you there?”

“Yes, and Q too. We had trapped her. She was working for Denbigh.”

“So she was the traitor?”

“Probably not.” James took another drag on the cigarette. “We found she was telling the truth. Well, Q found out she was telling the truth.”

“So she was shot for no damn good reason at all . . . bloody fucking hell.” Alec finished his drink. Setting the glass down on the end table. “Someone is playing us, James. They are pulling us along by our noses and we are completely blind.”

“Denbigh is involved. He was the source of the bad intel on Q. Eve admitted working for him, before she was killed. He knew Q from before.”

“He knew Q?! How?!” Alec took James’ cigarette away from James’ fingers and took a hit.

“They were . . . at Cambridge together.”

Alec cocked his head to the side. He knew James was lying. He was hiding something more about the young man.

“Cambridge? Is that all?”

James finished his drink. “Denbigh arranged for Q to be expelled. Q turned around the destroyed Denbigh’s father’s business. I don’t believe Denbigh knows Q is the boy he knew at uni, but . . . this might be some kind of revenge scenario.”

“James, people are fucking dead because of this. I had my hand shattered because of this. Don’t fucking tell me this is about bloody school boy’s revenge!”

“I can’t figure out what this is about. Q keeps talking about economic terrorism and criminal syndicates. Tanner is hunting a mole in MI6, and MI5 wants a cyberterrorist. I just don’t see a picture yet.”

Alec sighed and leaned back against the sofa.

“Fine, help me upstairs and you go find your boffin. Maybe tomorrow you can come up with an excuse why you started this whole landslide of shite when you didn’t pull the trigger and shoot that pretty little piece of arse.”

James twisted to look at his friend. “Are you saying I’m to blame for this?”

“The wrong people are getting killed, and there is a traitor in our midst. If you had killed Q, then we wouldn’t have known about them. So no, it’s not your fault, but my hand hurts like hell and I just want to sleep in my own bed. Get off your arse and help me.”

James stood and helped Alec off the couch. Both men climbed the steps to their rooms. After James, helped Alec into bed, he headed off to his. He felt the happy expectation of finding a young warm body in his bed, then James passed the closed door that Q was sleeping behind. He remembered Q had chosen to sleep alone. He paused for a moment staring at the closed door. The need for the young man built within the man. He wanted to knock on the door and invite the young man back into his bed, but then thought better of it. James knew he was getting to close to the hacker. He was beginning to feel too much. It wasn’t good.

He went into his bedroom. Sitting on the bed, he sighed before he toed off his shoes and pulled the jumper off over his head. James slowly unbuttoned his shirt as his memory replayed the last two weeks with Q. The nights shared together in bed. The days running and arguing. The young man had been by James’ side for over fourteen days. They had never been truly apart. Now, the distance of separate rooms seemed like miles to the blonde.

James stood and finished undressing. He slipped under the duvet. The sheets were cold. He reached out to Q’s side of the bed. A nature movement he had done repeatedly for two weeks; reaching for the young man. The empty space was unwelcomed. James laid back, looking up at the dark ceiling. How had just a few days with the unusual man make Bond dependent on his presence? The man growled. It wasn’t good. He was going to have to break the connection to the boy.

~Q~

Q listened to the heavy fall of footsteps climbing the stairs and muffled voices of James and Alec as they said good night. He could tell as James passed by the door. He waited to hear the knock on the door or the turn of the key. Neither happened. He was not locked in but neither was James going to come to him tonight. Q rolled over and huddled under the ticking. He wrapped his arms tightly around his body and shivered as the first tears slipped from his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the wonderful comments and suggestions.


	15. Coming Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments and support. I'm just planning on two more chapters to finish up this story.

Mallory and Tanner sat opposite of each other reading through the various reports. The sniper’s nest had been found in a flat across the street from Eve’s building. No evidence was found there but several suspects were seen on CCTV leaving the scene. The report from Q’s trace of the money was verified by Danielle Marsh in the Technical Service. Both men regarded Q’s confession regarding his activities and what he adamantly denied being involved in. There was a pattern of economic manipulation and fraud, but Tanner had not been able to be trace any of it back to Denbigh.

“We still have no evidence available to us. We are still stumbling around in the dark.” Mallory said as he slammed his fist down on the desk.

Tanner watched his boss carefully as the other man’s face reddened in anger. A blood vessel bulging under the pale skin across the man’s forehead. Mallory took the tumbler of whiskey next to his fist and quickly drank down the contents.

“With every turn we are blocked. We need to bring more heads in on this.” Mallory said as he rose from his seat.

“Sir, we are not sure who we can trust.” Tanner stated again.

Mallory stepped away from the desk and started to pace the room. His footsteps silent on the thick wool carpet.

“What about Daniella Marsh? Can we trust her?”

“Daniella? Absolutely, but . . .”

“But what?”

“Her department hasn’t been completely vetted yet. They passed initial review but the in-depth review has only been completed on the executive branch members and their assistants.”

Mallory kept pacing, listening the man. He crossed his arms over his chest. As he walked he started to absent-mindedly nibble at his thumb nail.

“We need to trust someone. 006 is back. Bond is back. We have the hacker too. We can bring Daniella in on this. She will be fresh eyes on the problem.”

Within half an hour, Daniella Marsh was in Mallory’s office. The woman sat silently as she listened to the full briefing. The compromised mission in Rome. 006’s kidnapping and torture. The false report of his death. Eve Moneypenny’s questionable behavior and subsequent arrest. Her assassination and Q’s assistance. When it was over, she only asked for one thing.

“Whiskey, please.” Her voice shaky. Tanner went and poured the liquor into the hand cut crystal tumbler. Handing it to her, the woman regarded the information she was told. “So this started in Rome with Bond and his target.”

“It appears it started before. The Intel we received from MI5 was inaccurate. It stated that Q was involved in more substantial crimes than he willing admits too.”

“Well, not a surprise there. I’m sure he would not want to admit to treason if he can get off with just ordinary cybercrimes. I’ll have Margo review the report and the trace and we will see if this Q is telling us the truth.” Daniella nodded and sipped her whiskey.

“We need to limit the number of people who know about all of this. We are trying to track down a possible mole within our agency. Someone familiar with MI6 operations. Someone who would know 006’s travel plans and the pending arrest of Moneypenny.” Tanner said.

“I’ve known Margo since she was a child. Her mother and I were best friends. She is a graduate of my university, Bellerbys College, Cambridge. She is my right hand. She does everything for me. Knows more about computers than anyone else in my department. Surely you don’t suspect her.” Daniella protested.

“We must be careful. Whoever is responsible for this is willing to kill.” Mallory said. “We must be certain before we trust anyone with this information.”

Marsh sat nodding silently. She set the crystal tumbler down and folded her hands together in front of herself.

“If I am wrong about her, then I will resign.”

Mallory and Tanner looked at each other.

“If you are wrong, Daniella. We will all be out of a job.”

~Q~

Bond woke with a start. Something was wrong. Something didn’t feel right. He laid still in the bed, letting his senses catch up with his intuition. He frowned when he realized it was the missing young man. He had grown accustom to Q sleeping next to him. They had woken up together for the past two weeks, tangled in each other’s arms. Even when they had been antagonistic towards each other, during the night, their bodies sough each other out. Now, James was alone. His body protested while his mind growled at how quickly he had become attached to the young man.

Bond kicked the covers off the bed and stood. The room was cold and his bare feet on the wooden floor felt like ice blocks. He reached for his pistol and stepped out of his room. The door to the spare room was still closed. He quietly opened it and looked in. The various boxes blocked a clear view of the bed, but James could see Q’s legs huddled under the ticking. He heard the soft sighs of the young man’s breathing. James backed out of the room, closing the door. His body sag with relief that Q was still there.

~Q~

Denbigh was climbing into the back seat of his limo when his private mobile rang. He looked at the international number on the caller ID. Rolling his eyes, he answered the call.

“I thought I told you not to call me until it was over.”

The driver’s eyes flicked in the mirror for a moment then quickly returned to the road. He knew better than to listen in on his boss’ conversation.

“Well, it is not my fault you let the man slip through your fingers.” Denbigh snapped at the caller. “Yes, yes. It is unfortunate, but I will see to it personally from now on.”

Denbigh disconnected the call without saying good bye. He was frustrated. His plans had been derailed by this ‘Q’ again. He looked out the window as the car headed south to MI5 headquarters. All he need was a month. Just a month and England would be on her knees and Europe close behind. He would have brought the continent into economic depression and the crime syndicates would be able to operate at will.

The image of 1920 American gangsters came to mind. Chicago during the Great Depression. He imagined himself in a dark pinstripe suit and fedora. A toothpick hanging from the corner of his mouth as he carried a ‘tommy’ gun in a violin case. A cruel smile came to his face. He imagined the look on Q’s face as Denbigh pointed the machine gun at the young man. Listening to Q beg for his life.

“Turn around, Lawrence. I want to go to my club instead of the office.” Denbigh said. He had changed his mind. He would kill Benjamin White himself.

~Q~

Danielle sat in her office, looking over the report from Denbigh. She could see a pattern between the two different lists. The first list of the crimes Q openly confessed to, resulted in either protection of innocent people or the prosecution of corrupt officials. The second list, the attacks that Q denied, were often resulted in economic manipulations of governments or financial businesses. She couldn’t see the connection between the two lists other than the accusation that Q was responsible for both lists.

The knock on her door drew her attention away.

“Come.”

The door opened and the white blond hair of Margo Turner peaked around the corner.

“You asked for me?”

“Yes, Margo, please come in.”

“Is this about 003? He’s a right bastard. He never listens to me on the comms and called me a . . .”

“No, this is not about 003. I have a project for you.”

The small impish woman stepped into the office and sat down in the chair in front of Danielle’s desk. The older woman considered the young with a knowing appraisal. Margo had arrived at work today in her normal non-conservative clothing. A tight jet black knit blouse with small white piping at the neckline and imprints of skulls on the front. A short wool skirt in a black and white tartan and tall black boots with heavy metal clasps. Danielle was going to have to have another conversation with the woman about her clothing. It just was not MI6 approved apparel. At least Margo had backed off on the heavy black eyeliner and kept the nose ring out.

“I need your expertise on hacking.” Danielle started. She saw the light brighten behind the young woman’s eyes. Margo loved this type of project. She was an expert and was one of the best hackers in her own right. Danielle often thought it was Margo’s saving grace that she was plucked up by MI6 before she went off and did something disastrous on her own.

“I have two lists on various incursions into systems.” She handed the lists to Margo. “The first list was done by a known hacker. The second list we are not sure who the hacker is. I need you to see if it was the same person. Check for any commonality between the two lists. Entry sites, or code, or objectives.”

Margo smiled as she started reading through the lists. Suddenly she felt a cold hand close around her heart. The names and computer hacks. She knew them. Danielle saw the change in Margo’s expression.

“Is there something the matter?”

Margo looked up at the woman.

“No, I just . . . no. Ah . . . who is responsible for the first list? Who was the hacker?”

“His name is Q. Have you heard of him?” Danielle knew in the world of hackers, anonymity was vital, but many knew the code names of successful hackers.

“Maybe . . . yeah, I think, maybe.”

Danielle watched as Margo looked at the lists again. There was a slight tremble to the woman’s hand and her voice didn’t have its normal hard edge.

“As soon as possible, please. We are trying to track down a possible mole within the department.”

Margo’s glance shot up and into the older woman’s face. Danielle could see the fear in Margo’s eyes.

“Dear, what is it? Do you know something?”

“No . . . there’s a mole? Do they know who?”

“Tanner is looking in the executive department.” The phone beside her rung. Danielle smiled gently at Margo as she picked it up. “Danielle Marsh.”

“Danielle, it’s me.” Margo could hear the muffled male voice over the receiver.

“Just a moment.” Danielle covered the mouth piece and looked over at Margo. “I need to get this. Let me know when you have something on those two lists.”

Marge nodded and stood. The small woman quickly left the office, closing the door behind her. Danielle closed her eyes and sighed heavily. Opening them she returned to the phone call.

“Yes, sir, how may I help you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments welcomed and enjoyed.


	16. When Everything Comes to Light.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bond and Q make an attempt to find evidence against Denbigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long chapter and jumps between several different people. I couldn't figure out a better way of writing this other than jumping back and forth between everyone. Be warned this is an emotional chapter.

As soon as they had arrived in the morning, Tanner met them. Q and Bond had planned to continue the computer search, but Tanner had brought the two men into M’s office. Bond’s internal radar was signaling danger, like an itch under his skin. He stiffened when he saw Daniella Marsh also sitting in M’s office.

Q sat quietly down, across from the frowning M. James took up a defensive position behind the young man. Unconsciously, he rested his hand on Q’s shoulder. The young man jumped slightly at the touch, then relaxed. He seemed to lean into the contact. James didn’t want to think about the implications.

“You said you knew Max Denbigh at Cambridge? You were students together?” Mallory asked.

“Yes.”

“Will he remember you?”

Q briefly glanced up at James. The young man wonder if James had informed Mallory of Q’s relationship with Max Denbigh.

“I believe so . . . at least, I hope so.”

“Does he know you are Q now?”

“I sincerely doubt it. There was never a time when he would have made the connection.” Q said. It had been true he had hack the senior Denbigh’s brokerage firm. But the name Q was never associated with the released documents. Q didn’t believe Maxwell ever knew who was responsible for his father’s downfall.

Mallory nodded and Tanner looked concerned. James didn’t like where this line of questions. He didn’t like how Mallory was looking at Q.

“We have no direct connection between Denbigh and the possible cyberattacks. Tanner has reviewed the information you have supplied, Q. You are correct. There is a direct manipulation the economic crisis in Greece and Spain. We have also found numerous attempts to hack into the several British banks in an attempt acquire client information.”

Q’s attention shifted from Mallory to the report of possible hacks Tanner handed him.

“If there is a national attack on the banks, then the public will lose confidence in them. There would be run on the institutions, just like in Athens.”

The men glanced at each other.

“A run on the banks would cause a major crisis. There isn’t enough actual money to cover the deposits.” Tanner said.

“We are running out of time. We need to push back . . . now.” Mallory said with an extreme conviction in his voice. “It may be too late, but we must at least try.”

Bond shifted behind Q. He wish he had his gun with him, but he was not allowed to carry a weapon within MI6.

“The prime minster has called it to discuss the attack on the British banks.” Tanner continued. “M and I will both be there. Denbigh and his boss will also be there. We know that Denbigh has a private office at his club. He wouldn’t do anything at MI5 but he would be able to orchestrate this from the club.”

“You want me to go in and find evidence.” Bond said. His hand still resting on Q’s shoulder.

“Not just you . . . Q will go with you to search the computers you find there.” Mallory said.

“NO!” Bond barked at the man. Q jumped at the shout. Bond’s hand tightened on Q’s shoulder. “He is untrained! He is not qualified to be there!”

“He is more qualified than you. He is an expert in computers. He will be able to quickly identify any activity that could be coding for possible cyberattacks.” Mallory snapped back at the angry agent. “Don’t worry about him . . . you will be going in with him. You will be his shadow.”

“There must be another way. Tell me what to look for and I will bring the evidence back.”

“It could be just a few lines of code, James. It would be too subtle for you to see.” Q said slumping his shoulders.

James turned his gaze to the young man. Q was looking down at his hands.

“Q, you don’t have to do this.” James said softly. “You’ve already done enough. You don’t need to risk your life.”

Q twisted at looked up at him.

“What life? . . . You’ve already told me I will die if I don’t find the traitor . . . I have to find the truth for you.”

“I didn’t . . . no, Q, don’t do this.” James looked into the hazel green eyes.

“I must.”

~Q~

Q sat very still as Danielle fitted the ear wick within his ear. Q’s eyes were fixed on James as Danielle explained how to activate the comm link and what to be careful of while he was using it. James sat immobile on the other side of the room watching. His face set in a stoic mask. He was angry and didn’t want Q to go through with Mallory’s plan.

“Okay, how does that feel?” Danielle asked.

“It’s feels awkward, but it doesn’t hurt . . . just annoying.” Q said as he raised his hand to his ear.

“Don’t touch your ear.” James said softly. Q’s eyes flashed up at him and he dropped his hand. “Danielle, can you give us a moment?”

The older woman nodded and left the room. The two men’s eyes were fixed on each other ignoring her departure. They sat still for a moment just looking at each other, before Q broke the silence.

“You said you would help me disappear.”

“I did.”

“I didn’t realize it was going to be down a dark deep hole.”

James blinked and looked confused for a moment. Q continued.

“Tanner told me. Either a bullet from your gun or prison. My only two options. I have to do this. How long do you think someone like me would last in a high security prison?”

James felt a twist under his ribs, as if someone was plunging in a knife.

“I didn’t mean this for you . . . when I said disappear I meant . . .”

“What? Happy ever after? I don’t believe in ‘ever after’. I don’t think you do either.” Q slipped down off the table and stood on his feet. James moved closer. He wanted to reach out to the young man, but held back. “I need to know . . . I need to know if I ever was anything more than just a . . .” He couldn’t even put it into words.

“Yes you were.” James said softly. Q wanted to believe him but doubt was burring his feelings.

“And Alec . . . what is he to you? Are the two of you . . . more than friends?”

James paused for a moment. No one had questioned his relationship with Alec before. Most at MI6 knew the two men shared a townhouse, but no one believed it was more than just a platonic friendship.

“I’ve known Alec my entire adult life. We met our first week in the Navy and we’ve been close ever since. We were . . . more once. More than friends, but . . . we learned we were better friends than lovers. He is more of me than I am. He’s my brother I choose to have. You are . . . if it had been different . . . if I could relive the last two weeks . . . I would have been . . . kinder.”

Q’s brow knitted together.

“Kinder?”

“I . . . I’m finding it hard to be without you. I want you . . . close to me.” James tried to force the words down before he spilled everything he was feeling out.

Q nodded. He stepped closer to James and then lightly brushed his lips to James’ cheek.

“I won’t regret the pass two weeks.” He said softly. “I’m sorry they are over.”

Q turned to walk out of the room. James paused for a moment then followed behind him.

~Q~

Denbigh’s club was in an elegant Georgian building off Saint James’s Square, near the London Library. The five story building was easy for Bond and Q to access from the roof of the adjoining building. It was half of one, when Bond forced the window on the roof access. The two men climbed through into the two hundred year old building.

Bond’s Walther was already in his hand and Q stayed close to his back. The blonde moved quickly through the upper floors reaching Denbigh’s private study on the second floor. The heavy oak doors were locked. Bond expertly picked the polish brass lock and opened the doors. Q moved around the man and quickly entered. James looked up and down the hall before closing the door behind them and locking them again.

“Danielle, we are in.” Bond said into the comm link.

Bond looked around the room. It was an elegant study in dark rich greens and blues with polish oak paneling and a black marble fireplace. Q was already sitting at the large mahogany desk, carefully examine the lap top he found there.

“What’s wrong? Just get started.” James hissed at the young man.

“It was left out in the open.” Q said as if the information alone explained his delay in starting.

“So?”

“Never trust the obvious.” Q said. He flipped the laptop over and looked at the access panel in the back. “There . . . a trigger. If I opened this, not even turned it on . . . just opened it, an alarm would have sounded somewhere in the building.”

Danielle had been listening to the two men. “Q, do you think you can bypass it?”

“I don’t believe it is the computer I should be working on. It’s a decoy.”

He set the laptop down and started looking carefully through the drawers. Finding nothing, he stood and went the book shelves. They were tall, floor to ceiling, and full of numerous books. Some law books, some books on British history. Q smiled a removed a large copy of _Cromwell’s Letters and Speeches from Ireland, 1649 and 1650._ James raised an eyebrow at the subject matter. Q opened the book and found a hollowed space containing a second laptop.

“Got it. Give me fifteen or twenty minutes, and I’ll have the evidence against him.”

James moved to the door and listened for anyone approaching the office.

~Q~

Mallory and Tanner enter the Ministry of Defense from the Horse Guard Avenue. The meeting was to start at half one. The men entered the conference room. Numerous members of other departments were already there. Representatives from the three military branches. Civilian authorities and now MI6 was present. Mallory scanned the room but did not see Denbigh or his boss present. The absent of MI5 would not be acceptable to the prime minister who was late himself.

Tanner began to get an uneasy feeling when he turned to see the door of the conference room open and the head of MI5 enter with Denbigh close on his heels. The two men paused at the steward, dressed in formal military uniform, holding out a tray of drinks. Carlyle, the head of MI5 took a tumble of whiskey, while Denbigh refused the offer.

The two men saw Tanner and Mallory. Carlyle made a beeline to the two men. His face florid with anger.

“Well, have you caught him yet?” Carlyle practically shouted at Mallory.

“Sir, please. You forget yourself and your surroundings.” Tanner said in a hushed tone.

Carlyle was not easily dissuaded.

“Where is this Bond and the man he was supposed to kill? Why haven’t you brought them in yet?”

Tanner’s eyes glanced over at Denbigh. The young Irishman had been convincing his boss of the dangers of Q and Bond. Squarely leaving the blame on MI6 and Mallory’s shoulders.

“Bond has been in touch. The suspect is still with him, but he doesn’t feel it is safe to bring the man in because of a possible mole releasing the information to Gasparri and other crime organizations.” Mallory said.

“A mole? Of course, MI6 can’t learn to keep its house clean. All the more reason I’m pushing for the disbanding of your Double “O” program. Useless, completely useless. Waste of money. As soon as the PM gets here, I am going to insist on it.”

Mallory bristled at the threat. “The Double “O” program is a group of specialized operatives handling the most difficult missions.”

“Your Double “O” couldn’t even shoot the correct man in Rome. Worthless. Money that could be allocated to MI5 for domestic cyberterrorism. The true threat of the future, not this . . . cloak and dagger romance MI6 has us clinging too.”

The door to the conference room opened and a Naval Commander stepped in.

“Excuse me gentlemen and ladies.” The young naval officer said in a clear precise voice. “The Prime Minister will be delayed for half an hour. Pressing business with the French President. We hope you will indulge his delay. Thank you.” The young sailor backed out of the room and doors were closed.

“Damn stupid way to run a country.” Carlyle hissed. He took another sip of his whiskey. “Doesn’t he know we have important jobs to get back to?”

Tanner glared at the pretentious man. He was beginning to deeply despise members of MI6’s sister organization.

~Q~

Danielle watched the feed from the drone that was circling around St. James’ Square. It was flying at five hundred feet, too high to be spotted from the ground but was still low enough to avoid the being seen by the air traffic controllers at Heathrow. The video feed was clear and Danielle had a perfect view of 007 and the young man slipping into the building.

Danielle was busy hacking into the private security service that monitored the CCTV within the private club of Denbigh. It was tricky. The company was good and it was taking too long for her to break through.

“Get Margo Turner up her from R and D. Tell her I need her help now.” Danielle ordered.

One of the techs scurried off to fetch the young woman. As he slammed the doors open he baulked at the tall blonde walking in.

“Whoa, I’m already on medical leave. Let’s not extend it.” Alec said. He twisted away from the young man, protecting his left side. His hand and arm hidden under his jumper.

The young tech looked up into the double ‘O’s eyes. The man’s color drained from his face.

“I thought . . . they said . . . you’re dead!”

“Not yet.” Alec laughed. He stepped around the young man and into TSS. “Danielle, how is James?”

The older woman didn’t take her eyes off the computer screen as she tried to force herself into the security system.

“He’s in the building but I don’t have eyes on him yet.”

Alec stepped closer and stood beside her, watching the aerial view from the drone.

“When did the meeting start?”

“It should have started ten minutes ago but the PM is running late.”

The door opened and Margo came in. Her white blonde hair was now streaked with cherry red. She was wearing a black and white jumper and skin tight jeans. She had on heavy platform boots. She marched up to Danielle cursing as she walked.

“Damn it Danielle, I was right in the middle of . . .” Margo looked up at the man standing next to Danielle. “006!? THEY SAID YOU WERE DEAD!?”

“I’m getting that a lot now.” He smiled at the woman. “Hello, how is my favorite cartoon character?”

Margo stared at him, then shook herself. “Careful, brontosaurus.”

“Enough you two. I need you to get me into this system, Margo.” Danielle interrupted the two.

Margo shook then forced herself to look away from the man. She turned to read the computer screen Danielle was working on.

“Private security service?”

“Yes, private club off St James’ Square.”

Margo stepped forward and started typing rapidly. The lines of code traveled across the screen and flashed to different programs. Within a few minutes, the large screen on the wall of TSS showed the interior of Denbigh’s club. Margo looked up at the feed. The dark oak paneling. The dark blue and green carpeting.

“Is that Marquis Club?” Margo asked.

“Yes,” Danielle answered. “Have you been there?”

“Ah . . . no. I know someone who . . . wants to join.” Margo said. She watched the feed as she typed and changed cameras. The view changed to the upper floors of the building. She saw two men moving quickly through the halls.

“Is that 007?” Margo asked.

Alec watched James and Q move down the hall way to a large oak door. James picked the lock and the two men slipped passed the door.

“Danielle, we’re in.” Bond’s voice came over the communication link into the room.

“If you’re done with me, I need to get back to my project.” Margo said in a half voice to the older woman. Danielle waved her away and Margo stepped back before turning and quickly leaving the room. Alec watched as the woman fled. Her hand reaching for the phone in her back pocket.

~Q~

Q was concentrating on the laptop. He was navigating through the various programs till he found what he was looking for. The code was familiar. He felt a sudden wave of nausea as he looked at the program Maxwell had used it in attempt to hack into the banks. It was roughly the same code Q had devised to attack Denbigh’s father’s brokerage firm seven years ago. Denbigh was using Q’s code against the nation.

“Q, can you hurry up?” James said from the door. His head was tilted to listen for anyone coming down the hallway. Q jumped at the man’s voice.

“I just need ten more minutes.”

Q wanted to find anything that would lead them to Maxwell instead of himself. Anything to save himself.

 _“007, there is movement on the lower levels.”_ Danielle’s calm voice came over the communication link. James glanced up at Q.

“I’ll give you as much time as I can, but hurry.” James unlocked the door and stepped into the hallway.

Q kept digging looking for anything to incriminate Denbigh.

~Q~

It had been fifteen minutes since the Naval Commander had announced the delay. The various members of the British Security were all milling around the conference room having private discussions amongst themselves. Tanner kept glancing at his watch. Bond and Q were supposed to be in Denbigh’s office by now. He didn’t dare call Danielle to find out the progress of the raid.

Carlyle was blustering on the opposite side of the room with an army general. Denbigh at his side. The soldier was obviously indifferent to the man’s rant but was growing tired of it all the same. Tanner watched as Denbigh suddenly looked at his mobile.

“Damn it Max . . . haven’t I told you repeatedly to shut that blood thing off when we are in conference. What a nuisance.” Carlyle complained.

“Forgive me, sir, but this is regarding a very important issue. I need to check with the office.” Denbigh stepped back from the two men and headed to the door. “This better be bloody important.”

Tanner heard the man hiss into his mobile. He went to covertly follow Denbigh out of the room. When Tanner reached the outer hall, Denbigh was gone. Tanner quickly called Danielle.

“Yes, sir. Bond and Q are in the building.” Danielle said without being asked.

“Get them out! Denbigh just took off. He said he was going to MI5 but I don’t believe so.”

“What?! Why did he leave? What excuse did he give?!” Danielle asked excitedly. Tanner could hear her type quickly on the other end of the line.

“He received a call. Someone phoned him and he took off. Get Bond and Q out of there!”

~Q~

James moved down the hall away from Denbigh’s office. He quickly walked down a side hall and over to another set of locked doors. He picked the lock and entered the rooms, leaving the door slightly ajar. He hoped the guards would see that and come to him, instead of finding Q.

He heard the sound of men running up the stairs. He stepped further back into the darkness of the office. Taking a spot, hidden behind the door. There were harsh whispers as the men approached the open doors. Bond saw the barrel of the gun before the man poked his head through the door.

James grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him in, knocking him off balance and flipping him over a chair. Then just as quickly James threw his body against the door, trapping the second guard between the two heavy oak doors. He heard the man’s head hit solidly against the hard wood. A gasp and sigh, let Bond know the man was unconscious.

Bond turned his attention back to the first man. He was climbing back up to his feet. He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Bond’s waist. The two men fell to the parquet floor and started to wrestle for the man’s gun.

James briefly heard Danielle’s voice just before the man punched Bond in the face.

“Denbigh is in the building.”

~Q~

Alec watched as Margo rushed out of the room. Danielle’s attention was fixed on the screen and the guards in the Marquis Club. No one but Alec saw Margo pull out her mobile and start punching in numbers.

Alec stepped away from Danielle and followed the petite woman out into the hall way. Margo was engrossed in her phone call and didn’t notice the large man moving quietly up behind her.

“They’re in your office.” Margo breathed into the phone. “How do I know!? . . . I saw them! . . . I don’t know, maybe . . .”

Alec moved swiftly. He grabbed Margo’s mobile and listened to the man on the other end of the line.

“Is Q with 007?”

It was just a few words but Alec recognized the accent, the inflection. The same voice that questioned him as his hand and arm were brutally crushed by the iron bar. He squeezed down tightly on the phone, almost breaking it in his grip.

Margo spun and gulped in air when she saw the angry Russian behind her.

“GIVE ME BACK MY PHONE!”

Alec threw the phone as hard as he could over her head. The casing shattering from the impact with the wall. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed her shoulder. Margo screamed and kicked at the man with her heavy boots. Alec twisted his body to protect his left arm still wrapped tightly in bandages. The heavy boot missed the more vital portions of Alec’s body and hit the meaty flesh of his thigh. Alec cursed in Russian and shoved Margo backwards hard. The small woman went flying and hit the same wall her phone had.

Margo’s head slammed into the wall, stunning the young woman. Before she could recover, Alec’s fist encircled her neck. It tightened down and cut off her air. Margo’s eyes grew large as she tried to breath. She scratched at Alec’s hand, trying to make him let go.

“I should snap your neck,” he growled at her.

He loomed over the tiny woman. Her eyes bulged as her lips began to tinge blue. Margo saw spots before her eyes as the roar of rushing blood filled her ears. She closed her eyes cursing the very existence of Alec Trevelyan and Max Denbigh. Both men responsible for her dying here, now.

Suddenly, there was a rush of fresh air into her lungs. Her body felt heavy and she was too weak to support it. Collapsing to her knees, she looked up at the blonde. Alec held a phone in his hand.

“Tanner, I found your mole.”

~Q~

Q heard Danielle. “Denbigh is in the building.”

He looked up at the closed door. James was somewhere in the building but Q didn’t know where. He hadn’t found anything more incriminating than his altered code he had used on Denbigh senior seven years ago. Was that the code Maxwell was using to hack into the banks? Maxwell wouldn’t actually have to acquire any information. Just the threat would be enough to send people into a panic. The panic would result in a distrust of the banks and a collapse of the industry.

Q wondered if that would be enough. Would it be enough to save his life from Tanner’s threats and James’ bullet?

“007, hurry up. Denbigh is on the stairs.”

Q closed the computer and replaced it back into the hollow book. He set the book back on the shelf and looked around the room. There were no traces that they had been there. Then he heard the key in the lock. Denbigh was right at the door. Q quickly sat down in the leather chair by the marble fireplace.

Denbigh opened the door and stepped into his office. He looked up and saw the young man sitting with his long legs crossed, staring back at Maxwell. A contemplative smile was on Q’s face.

“Maxwell.” Q said softly. Danielle heard the young man’s voice.

“Benjamin . . . I didn’t expect . . . to see you again.” Denbigh said as he closed the door and moved further into the room. “Where is your friend, 007?”

“The man is no friend of mine. He wants to kill me.”

“He is not alone in that desire.”

Danielle heard the conversation between the two men.

_“Bond, you need to get back to Q now. He is in trouble.”_

Bond twisted and punched the guard in the jaw. The man’s head rocked back, but the man didn’t go down. He returned a punch to James’ ribs, Bond was unable to block. Bond leaped forward, kicking out. The sole of his shoe hitting hard in the man’s solar plexus. The guard seemed to cave in on himself. Bond lashed out with edge of his hand across the man’s trachea. The larynx shattered under the force of the hit. The guard gasped and fell to the floor. He couldn’t cry out or scream in pain. He died with a gurgle as blood cut off his airway.

Bond stood up and wiped his brow. He took a moment to straighten his tie before he turned to leave the room. The sound of the gun shot was loud.

Q still sat in the chair as Denbigh held the small .38 snub nose in his hand. The grey smoke from the barrel curled up. There was searing pain in Q’s left shoulder as the bullet passed through the muscle and tissue and lodged into the upholstery of the chair.

“Maxwell . . . why . . .”

“You know why.”

“Your father?” Q asked as tears bled from his eyes.

“I couldn’t care less for the bastard. But you . . . you and me . . . we could have had everything we wanted. We could have been great together . . . you just couldn’t see it. Wouldn’t see it. You became an obstacle. I had to eliminate you.”

“But . . . that was seven years ago.”

“And you’re an obstacle again. You ruined my plans then and you tried to ruin them now. You never knew when it was time for you to leave the party. When your usefulness was over.” Denbigh fired the gun again. He aimed lower but instead of hitting Q in the stomach, the bullet tore into his thigh.

Q groaned and slipped from the chair, falling to the carpeted floor.

Bond kicked the doors open. Denbigh spun and lifted the gun to shoot. Bond had his Walther in his hand. Both men fired at the same time. Denbigh missed but Bond did not. The copper jacketed round entered Denbigh’s head beneath the left eye. The man was dead before he hit the floor.

James saw Q bleeding on the floor. He rushed over and cradled the young man in his arms. Blood gushed from the wound in Q’s leg. James pressed his hand over the wound but he could feel the blood pumping under his palm. Denbigh must had hit Q’s femoral artery.

“Q, WAKE UP! Q!” James shouted. Q moaned softly. “DANIELLE, EXFIL, WE NEED MEDICAL! Q’S BEEN SHOT!” Bond could hear the rapid typing over the comm link.

He brushed the young man’s fringe from his green eyes.

“Q, can you hear me?” he asked softly.

The young man opened his eyes. He blinked and looked up into James’ eyes.

“Still the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen,” Q whispered.

“Stay with me, keep talking, Q”

“I’m cold . . . why am I cold?”

“Q, keep talking . . . Danielle, hurry!”

“Ten minutes, 007.”

“We don’t have ten minutes.”

Q licked his lips and reached up to touch James’ face.

“I wouldn’t have change a thing you know . . . the last two weeks with you . . . I’m . . . I’m sorry I never told you that. I’m sorry I never said . . .” He closed his eyes and sagged in James’ arms.

“Q?! Q I NEED YOU TO WAKE UP! PLEASE, Q! . . . I NEED YOU!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are my addiction. I know this was a up and down chapter with a lot happening but I just didn't want to break it up in to multiple chapters. I think you would prefer it that way too.


	17. Memory of Things We've Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bond deals with Q being shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very emotional chapter. Hang on and get the tissues.

Bond stayed at Q’s side until he was rolled into surgery. The operation to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding took over three hours. Q’s heart stopped twice requiring the use of defibulator to start it again. As soon as he was rolled out of the operating theater, James was at his side again. Now James sat beside the bed as he watched the young man.

Q was very still. James couldn’t even detect the movement of his breathing. Bond listened to the monitors as he watched Q. His fingers laced between the boy’s. James dragged his thumb over the palm of Q’s hand. Q’s skin was cold and dry. He wanted to bury his face in Q’s hand and breathe in the man’s scent. James took a deep breath. All he could smell the bitter scent of antiseptic and blood.

The doctor came in the room. He was still wearing his surgical scrubs. Dark brown blood had dried on the cotton shirt. The man picked up the clip board at the foot of the bed. He flipped through the pages and read the nurse’s report. The doctor checked over the monitors and initialed the notes.

“Bond, he won’t wake up for several hours. You should get some rest yourself.” The doctor waited for Bond to move but the blonde remained in the chair. “It could be days.”

Bond remained still. The doctor sighed and moved to step out of the room.

“How bad was the damage?” James voice was brittle as chalk.

The doctor paused and looked back at the agent.

“Not good . . . he lost a lot of blood. We infused twenty units before we were able to put him on the cell saver. . . . It’s his brain that worries me the most . . . He was deprived oxygen from the blood loss. He might . . . there is a chance he won’t wake up. You will need to prepare yourself . . . just in case.”

James closed his eyes and squeezed Q’s hand tighter. He stayed with the young man throughout the night. Watching as the nurses changed units of blood and blood products. James lost count of how many bags were hung on the metal IV pole. The thick white bandages on Q’s thigh were changed twice by the time Tanner entered the suite.

“It’s morning, Bond.” Tanner said as he held out a paper cup of coffee for the man.

James didn’t acknowledge the news. He had been there for eighteen hours. He refused the coffee.

“I spoke to the doctors,” Tanner continued. “They said it would be several days before they know for sure . . .”

“Q will be alright.” James said.

Tanner sighed and closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry. M has ordered you on a mission . . .”

“No.”

“You must go. You can’t just wait here to see if he will wake up.”

“He will be alright. We aren’t finished.” Bond’s voice broke on the last word.

“M is waiting for you. It is a direct order.” Tanner waited for Bond respond.

The blonde agent finally sighed and stood. He leaned forward and kissed Q’s forehead. Bond stood up straight and walked out of the room. Tanner following closely behind him.

James stood in front of M’s office. Refused to sit down as M started the briefing. The older man glanced up occasionally at the emotionless expression on Bond’s face.

“Carlyle from MI5 has denied any knowledge of Denbigh’s activities. He is now on administrative leave waiting for a full investigation of Denbigh. The computer, you and White found, is being gone over by Danielle, while Margo Turner has agreed to cooperate with the investigation. Now we are going to finish dismantling his network. You will be going to Rome to terminate the five leaders of Gasparri crime syndicate . . .”

“You must send another operative, sir.” Bond finally spoke.

“There are no other operatives to send. 003 is in Moscow, dispatching the syndicate there. 002 is in Berlin. 006 will be on medical leave for the next six months and all other operatives are embedded elsewhere. I am not recalling them for this. You are the only one left. Here is your brief and your equipment is waiting for you with Danielle. Now, go.” Mallory stared at the man.

Bond was willing to turn his resignation in that very moment, but then he would be banned from the building and he wouldn’t be able to see Q.”

“Sir, if we could wait . . .”

“We can’t wait to see if Benjamin White regains consciousness. The terminations must take place quickly, before the men know that Denbigh’s plan has failed. Your plane leaves Gatwick in an hour. I suggest to get moving. Dismissed.”

Bond fought himself to shout at the man. He quickly turned on his heels and left the building. He promised himself he would finish the mission as quickly as possible and return to Q.

~Q~

It took Bond two weeks to kill all five men he was sent after. In his wake, he left two yachts burning in the Naples harbor and one villa in Rome, bombed and left in ruins. The body count had become unusually high, even for Bond. But James was seeking revenge as much as anything else.

As soon as he returned to London, he went straight to Medical. Ignoring the intern ordered to bring him to Tanner and M. Bond burst into the room he had left Q in sixteen day’s earlier. It was empty. He found a nurse and asked her were the young man was who had been shot. The terrified woman said she didn’t know.

Bond went to his small office he shared with Alec. He turned on the seldom used computer and pulled up the file on Benjamin White, aka ‘Q’. The dark red letters DECEASED across the first page of the report glared out at Bond. Q’s picture stared out accusingly. The air was sucked out of the room, making it hard for the man to breath. James gasped as his palms laid flat on the desktop. He read the report twice before he understood the words before him.

_“Death due to gunshot wounds to chest and extremities. Substantial blood loss.”_

It was dated the day after Bond had left for Italy. Bond violently shoved the computer off the desk and flung it across the room. It shattered against the floor. He stood quickly, the chair falling behind him. Bond stormed out of the building. Ignoring everyone he passed. If he stopped now, he was going to kill someone.

He promised himself he would return and blow the bloody place up before he was done.

~Q~

Bond opened the door of his town house and stepped inside. He slammed the door shut before flinging his overcoat towards the chair.

“WHERE ARE YOU?!” He shouted.

“Kitchen . . .” Alec shouted back.

“You better not be taking those damn drugs anymore! I want to get roaring drunk tonight and you are joining me!”

Bond heard the television set was on. A rugby match was playing and Alec was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs. His feet were propped up on the coffee table. A beer in his hand. James stepped further in the room and realized someone else was there. A dark haired man laying down on the couch. A white bandage wrapped around his thigh.

Bond froze as hazel green eyes looked up at him. A small smile on the pale face.

“Hello,” Q said softly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

James grabbed the edge of the counter to hold himself up. He blinked then felt his body propelled forward. He collapsed on to his knees beside the couch and reached up for the young man’s face. He hesitated in fear he was hallucinating.

“James?” Q asked as he watched the color pale in the older man’s face.

“I thought you were dead . . . your record . . . it said you were dead . . .”

“Yes, but Tanner told you . . .”

“Tanner didn’t tell me anything.”

“What!? Oh, God, James . . . Why didn’t Tanner tell you?”

“I left before I spoke to anyone. I couldn’t . . . I would have killed him or Mallory if I saw them.”

“I woke up after you left. Tanner told me you had been sent away. I’m sorry. There were warrants for my arrest in several countries. Tanner made my death official and ended the search for me. No one can take me away now.”

James lifted his hand and rested his palm on Q’s cheek. The young man leaned into it.

“It’s over, James. I don’t have to hide. I don’t have to run away.”

“Where are you sleeping?” James asked in a soft voice.

Q looked up into the man’s eyes.

“Your bed.”

James gave a weak smile and leaned forward to rest his forehead on Q’s.

“Mallory finally made a decent decision.” Alec said from his chair. “Q will start at MI6 once he cleared by Medical.”

James pulled back and looked into the young man’s eyes. Q nodded.

“You are looking at the new head of the cyberterrorism department. Danielle has decided to quit. She will be leaving soon. I think TJ or one of the other senior techs will take over. Everything is very sketch right now.” Q said.

James just looked at the young man, then he stood. He took Q’s hand and pulled on it.

“Come with me.”

He helped the young man stand and the two went to the stairs. James gently pushed the young man in front of him and up the stairs. Halfway up, Q swayed and leaned heavily on the banister. James caught him and bent down. Quickly picking the man up and carrying him the rest of the way up the stairs.

“I can walk, you know.” Q said with a cheeky grin.

“I know, but this is faster.” James walked into his bedroom and gently set the young man down on the bed.

“James . . . ah . . . the doctor said I shouldn’t . . . over exert myself.” Q blushed slightly.

James could see for himself the interest in Q’s eyes, but he knew the man had just been through major surgery.

“You aren’t going to exert yourself, I just need . . . to touch you. Hold you . . . taste you.”

Q looked up at the man. He could see the wanton desire in James’ eyes.

“Please.” He whispered.

James moved slowly. He reverently removed Q’s clothing. Kissing the newly exposed skin. His fingertips hesitantly dragging down the warm flesh. Q laid still on the bed, as James worshiped his body. Open mouth kisses to ribs and shoulders. James’ tongue lapping a warm streak down the man’s sternum and across his abdomen.

Q closed his eyes as James’ nose nudged against Q’s bollocks. The velvet sacks sensitive as James’ warm mouth closed around them.

“James . . . I . . . Oh, please . . . I need to kiss you.”

James moved up beside Q’s body. Both men’s naked bodies were slick with slight sweat. The gentle slide of skin against skin. James leaned over Q’s body, avoiding the bandaged areas. He kissed the young man. Q could taste his musk on James’ tongue. Q moaned as James’ tongue slid deeper into his mouth. The heady scent of sex, and sweat and each other. Q melted into the mattress as James’ hand encircled the boy’s cock.

Q shifted and twisted up on his uninjured side. His left hand circling around James’ length. Together they moved slowly. Q matching James’ movements till they reached the edge. James slowed his movements, savoring the moans and pleas from the Q’s mouth. One more brush of lips and then Q was empting into James’ hand. The warmth triggering James’ climax.

They rested their foreheads together, sharing each other’s breath. Q could feel the relief in the man next to him.

“It’s okay. We’re okay.”

James smiled at the young man’s words.

“You’ll stay with me.” It was an order not a request from James.

Q smiled and leaned in for a chaste kiss.

“Welcome home, James.”

James thought, _this was something to remember_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the wonderful comments and suggestions. I hope you enjoyed it. Tomorrow we finally get to see Spectre in the States. I'm sure it will recharge my muse. Till next time, thanks again.


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